The Captain and the Major
by QueensGambit
Summary: "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. Winston Churchill once said." "We are not soldiers." "No you're not, but you don't have to be a soldier to have courage and fight for what's right. Coulson had that courage and I won't let his death be in vain. He was the most courageous out of all of us." Rory said turning from Steve and Tony.
1. Chapter 1

So I had another idea for a Steve Roger's story and I had to get it down before I forgot. Don't worry I'm still planning a sequel for my Live to Rise story. It's currently in the works as we speak! Now with that being said, I do hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Avengers, just Rory.

~R~

* * *

Director Nick Fury sat at his desk aboard the SHIELD helicarrier. Papers and folders littered his desk. He picked up a smooth, non-damaged manila folder with the U.S Army's insignia on the front along with the word terminated stamped in red across the front. Fury flipped the folder open and leaned back in his chair as he looked over an all too familiar face. The beady gray eyes and silky straight rust-colored hair of a young woman stared back at him. The door to his office opened and Maria Hill and Phil Coulson entered.

"I take it you've already visited Mr. Stark, correct?" Fury said looking back down at the file.

"Yes, sir." Coulson answered.

"Good. There's one last person I need you to recruit for the team."

"Who is it, sir?" Hill asked with furrowed brows.

Instead of answering, Fury closed the folder and held it out to them. Hill reached forward and took it from his hand. She flipped it open and gazed at the picture, her eyes narrowing.

"Sir, are you sure it's a good idea to call her in? She hasn't seen combat in months." Hill asked with eyes narrowed.

Coulson took the folder from Hill's and took a look. He looked up and over at Fury before closing the folder. He handed it back to Fury and waited for his orders.

"I'm well aware of that, Agent Hill. Just because she hasn't been in combat for months doesn't mean she can't fight anymore. I believe she could help keep this team together."

"What do you mean, sir?" Hill asked.

"I have a feeling some people will be butting heads in the near future. And she is the one to keep them from killing each other. Agent Coulson, I want you to take this to her and pick her up when you get Rogers. You're both dismissed." Fury ordered handing Coulson a folder containing information on the others.

"Yes, sir." Coulson replied taking the folder and leaving.

Fury spun around in his swivel chair to look out the window. He crossed his hands in front of his chin, elbows resting on the arms of the chair, and a hidden smirk plastered on his face.

"Welcome to the Avengers, Major Rory Hayes."

~R~

Coulson stood outside a small townhouse in the early morning. He knocked a few times and waited for the occupant to answer the door. Coulson looked around the area taking in the sights while he waited. It wasn't much but there was a small lake across the street with a few ducks swimming around. More townhouses stretched the length of the small community neighborhood, but other than that there wasn't much. He turned back to the door and knocked again when it was pulled open. The rust-colored haired woman stifled a yawn and blinked her eyes free of sleep. She was dressed in plaid pajama pants and a black tank top.

"Major Rory Hayes, I presume." Coulson said.

"You presumed right. What can I help you with?" she replied not looking at him.

"I'm here on behalf of SHIELD. Don't tell me you don't remember me?"

"SHIELD? What the hell do they want with – wait Phil? Please come in." she said suddenly fully awake. She pushed the door open and walked away toward the kitchen. "Sorry about the mess. Can I get you anything to drink?" She asked pulling open the fridge.

"No thanks. I just came to deliver this."

Rory turned from the fridge with an energy drink in hand. She shut the refrigerator door, opening the can and walked over to Coulson. She took the black case from his hand and sat down at the small table and flipped it open. Her eyes widened at the information inside. The first file was of Loki and it had limited information. The second file on was about Dr. Bruce Banner and his exposure to gamma radiation making him turn into a giant green…thing. The next was of Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton, two SHIELD assassins. Her eyes scanned over Barton's as she spoke.

"What happened to him?"

"Loki put in under some kind of spell. As far as we know he is currently working for him."

"Hm." She hummed turning the next folder open as she skipped the one on Tony Stark. She personally knew him from her time in the military and after hearing of his Iron Man suit, well, she couldn't help but be surprised. The last folder was thicker than the rest. Her brows furrowed as she flipped the cover open. Rory's eyes focused on the man's picture. His blond hair and blue eyes stared back at her. She glanced over at his name. _Steve Rogers AKA Captain America. Born July 4__th__, 1918. _

"It's really him isn't it?" she whispered looking up at Coulson.

"Yes and if you accept SHIELD's offer to join then you'll meet him. You'll even work with him. The decision is yours. Give me a call when you reach your decision." He said pulling out a card and handing it to her.

She grabbed the card and nodded her head. Rory followed Coulson to the door and leaned against it as he walked to his car. He climbed in and left. Rory closed the door and locked it. Her eyes traveled over to the files calling her. She pushed away from the door and made a bee-line for the table. Her thoughts were running a mile a minute as she stared at the files and then at the card in her hand. Rory glanced over at folder behind Captain America's. How did she miss that one? She slid it toward her and flipped it open in the process. It was information about the Tesseract – how Howard Stark fished it out of the ocean – and it recently being stolen by the God of Mischief himself, Loki.

"This Tesseract must be pretty important if Fury is personally calling me in." she paused to look at the opened files of Banner, Rogers and Stark. "It must be damn important if he's calling them in too…"

"Screw it…what's the worst that can happen." She muttered dialing Coulson's number.

"_Major Hayes, that was quick."_

"I'll join; as long as Stark keeps his mouth shut about you know what."

"_I'll see what I can do, but knowing him he will bring it up. I'll have a jet swing by and pick you up early tomorrow. Fury said to pack a bag. You'll be here a while." _

"Naturally…Hey Coulson, do you know if he…"

"_The room is ready and waiting for you to use. Don't worry it has been tested. I'll talk to you later, Major."_

Rory sighed when Coulson hung up. She set the phone on the table and collected the files and placed them back in the case. Rory leaned back in the chair and sipped at her forgotten energy drink. She turned her eyes onto the unopened boxes scattered around the living room.

"Guess I shouldn't bother unpacking those." She muttered aloud. The shrill ringing of her phone made her jump. There was only one person who would dare call her so early in the morning was her father. And if she didn't answer his call, then she wouldn't hear the end of it.

"Hello Colonel." She said answering the phone.

* * *

~R~

And that's a wrap for chapter one! If anyone's worried about her being a Major in the Army, then you should know that I have something planned for that. So no worries, all will be explained in the end. Don't forget to review!


	2. Chapter 2

Wow! I wasn't expecting to get any followers yet! That makes me so happy! I wish to thank everyone who has followed so far, and I hope you enjoy!

Rory's outfit for this chapter: www. polyvore dot com/cgi/set?id=62666533 just remove the spaces and the dot.

Disclaimer: It's in the first chapter; I only own Rory and her Father.

~R~

* * *

"_I hear Fury has called you in." _

"He did. Did you have anything to do with that?" she asked in a teasing voice.

"_I may be a Colonel but I'm not that high up. My guess is Nick has kept a close eye on you after your accident and he could really use your help."_

"You're right. I'm probably just over analyzing everything like I always do. I just can't help but feel like something terrible is going to happen. And I don't need a repeat of some high ranking officers thinking I was promoted because I'm your daughter."

"_You're an exceptional soldier and a hard worker. You were promoted due to your resilience and not everyone can do that. You're a Major because you earned it and proved that you are a leader and a follower. Just because you are my daughter does not mean I helped you in anyway of obtaining what you strived for, remember that." _

"Thanks dad, I needed to hear that." She smiled.

"_Your mother would be so proud of her little girl just as I am. I'm sorry to end our conversation but duty calls. You can always call me if you need me or if you just wish to talk. Take care of yourself, Rory. I love you." _

"I love you too, dad. I'll see you soon okay?"

"_Maybe you'll bring a man with you." _

"DAD!" Rory shouted into the phone as her father laughed in her ear. He hung up leaving Rory red.

She banged her head against the table and grumbled incoherently to herself. Rory lifted her head and stood from the table. "I should probably start packing…" The thought of packing would put her mind at ease and hopefully forget what her father said. The last boy she dated was back in her sophomore year of high school, but one night of underage drinking was all it took and he was taken away from her. By the time senior year and eighteenth birthday came around she had lost her mother to pneumonia and was living on her own. Her father was stationed in Italy at Camp Darby at the time and was able to come home until the funeral. Now seven years later at the age of twenty-five, Rory was an Army Major and was discharged due to a torn ACL.

It seemed foolish at the time, but Rory knew they were required to discharge her. At the rate her physical therapy sessions were going, she wouldn't have been back on duty for two months. The extent of the injury was worse than they originally thought and upon hearing the news they went ahead and discharged her.

Rory walked up the stairs to her room and pulled out a duffle bag. She started piling a few sets of clothes into the bag along with some training wear. She made sure to remember her gym shoes and tossed them into the bag. The last few items to go into the bag were hygiene related, toothbrush, shampoo, conditioner, etc. With a sigh of relief, Rory zipped the bag and sat at her desk. The laptop was already on and waiting. She touched the mouse pad and began doing some more research on her soon to be teammates.

The day became a blur as she was glued to her laptop. Rory leaned back in her chair and stretched as she looked out the window. The sun was beginning to set and she hadn't eaten much of anything.

"Damn, time really does fly when you don't look at the clock. I think I have all the information I need for now. I better eat before I regret it…"

~R~

Today was the day and Rory had absolutely no sleep. She was sitting at the kitchen table with a bottle of juice in front of her. She was waiting for the SHIELD vehicle that was supposed to pick her up and take her to the jet. Her patience was starting to wear thin when she heard a vehicle pull up outside. The sound of a door closing had her standing up and grabbing her bag from beside her. She looked around the room to make sure everything would be alright and headed for the door. Rory pulled it open just as Fury was about to knock.

"I get the honor of you picking me up yourself? I feel special." She said with a smile.

"I wanted to make sure you were on the helicarrier before Captain Rogers and Dr. Banner showed up. We better go if we're to beat them." Fury replied turning around and heading for the SUV.

"That's not the only reason, right? There's something you wish to tell me."

"In due time, Major Hayes."

Rory didn't respond and climbed into the SUV. Fury climbed in beside her and they were off. The ride was short as they reached the airfield and jet. Rory opened her door and grabbed her bag, swinging it over her shoulder as she stared at the jet.

"Now that is some jet, Director." She said in awe.

"It's called the Quinjet. If you stay on with SHIELD you may be able to learn how to fly one."

"I think I'll leave that to the professionals and I'll just stick with my firearms and knives."

They walked up the ramp and took their seats. Fury sat off to the side with some computer screens while Rory was near the hatch. When they were in the air, she stood up and walked toward the front, looking out the window as they passed over the ocean. Her brows furrowed as they came upon helicarrier. The jet landed and Fury was the first one out.

"Take a look around. Rogers and Banner should be arriving shortly. If you need me I'll be on the bridge." He said before disappearing inside.

Rory nodded absentmindedly and looked around. Fighter jets and Quinjet's were scattered along the carrier. Some people were jogging in groups while others were securing and checking over the jets. A shadow appeared next to hers as she turned to see who it was. The red haired assassin, Natasha Romanoff, stood behind her.

"You must be the Major everyone's been talking about."

"Just call me Rory. Natasha, correct? Pleased to meet you." Rory greeted extending a hand out.

Natasha just looked at her hand for a few moments before turning and walking away. Rory shrugged her shoulders and lowered her hand. She contemplated following the red head but decided against it.

"Captain should be arriving any minute now. If you'll follow me I'll take you to the bridge, Fury didn't tell anyone else he was bringing you on. It's best to let them find out who you are once we're inside." Natasha said looking back.

Her mind being made up for her, Rory followed Natasha at a leisurely pace. There was no rush to catch up and it's not like she had anywhere else to go. Rory walked beside Natasha through the maze of hallways toward the brigde. As they walked they exchanged small talk, well more like talk about their combat tools.

"I good with any firearm, but I still prefer knives." Rory answered.

"Knives?" Natasha questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Remind me to show you when I get the chance." She smirked.

They reached the bridge and Rory's jaw dropped in shock. She had never seen a ship like this before in her life. Then again most of her time was spent on the ground during a fight. She liked it that way. Rory tilted her hat up so she could see the rest of the room. A table sat in front of her with built-in monitors and seven chairs. SHIELD's insignia was printed on the table. Rory looked over at caught Fury's eye as the helicarrier began to take off. She took the nearest seat and set her bag down beside her. She watched as people bustled around making everything was in order.

Coulson appeared shortly after and gave her a smile as he walked over to a computer. Two men entered the room a few minutes later. Rory looked over at them and saw the confusion written all over their faces. She gave them each a warm smile as she leaned back in her chair.

"Gentlemen, Lady." Fury greeted walking over to them.

Rory watched as Steve walked forward, looking around at everything. She saw him slip a hand into his pocket pull out some money before handing a bill to Fury. She raised a brow but dismissed it.

"Doctor, thank you for coming."

"Thank you for asking nicely."

Fury turned away from Banner and looked at Rory. She glanced up when she felt two sets of eyes on her. She lifted a hand and gave a small wave which earned her a hard stare from Fury. Sighing, she stood up and was about to introduce herself when Fury beat her to it.

"Gentlemen, I would like you to meet Major Rory Hayes. I personally called her in to help."

"An Army Major?" Steve asked surprised.

"It's nice to meet you both. And yes, shocking I know. But don't worry Captain, I won't be the one giving orders. I'm just here to help stop Loki, nothing more, and nothing less." Rory replied crossing her arms. "Now where is this room I asked Coulson about?"

"Follow me. You'll love it." Coulson said walking passed her.

Rory grabbed her bag and jogged to catch up. She spared a glance behind her and saw Steve giving her a curious look. She turned back around and narrowly missed running into someone. They took an elevator down to the training floor and made a sharp turn down a hallway to the right of the gym. It was a lot of memorization but Rory felt like she got it down…or so she hoped. Coulson pressed in a series of numbers on the keypad and the door slid open. Rory stepped inside and looked around.

"It has everything you can think of. It can be turned off and on without being in the control booth just by voice recognition. Any hit you manage to take will hurt so just keep that in mind. Also there are multiple levels you can advance to."

"Come now Phil, don't ruin all the surprises for me."

"If you need anything use this. It will patch you into Fury and anyone that's in the control booth." He said holding out a Bluetooth headset. "I'll let you get to work. Have fun."

"Oh I will." Rory smiled heading for the locker room.

* * *

~R~

Hm I think I will be posting a bunch of chapters today. That will be a first. Anyways, I'm glad to see a bunch of people already following this story. Reviews are welcome. (:


	3. Chapter 3

Enjoy. (:

~R~

* * *

Rory stood in the center of the room. She had changed out of her previous outfit into a pair of army camo pants and an Under Armour t-shirt and gym shoes. She fastened the Bluetooth headset over her ear and was ready, but a pair of glasses and gloves off to the side caught her attention. She walked over and slipped them on.

"I never asked what I had to say…Crap. Uh level 1?" She said aloud.

_Level 1 synchronization in progress._

The lights shut off and slowly started turning back on. Rory looked around as the arena started to change to an open field with various weapons lying around. A smile broke out on Rory's face as the wind blew her hair.

_Level 1 Start_

A few enemies appeared in front of Rory. They each held a different weapon. Rory made the first move and picked up one of the pistols by her foot. She shot four of the five holograms in succession. The phased out and more reappeared, only this time they moved more fluidly. Rory stood still as her targets moved back and forth, but didn't advance. She aimed and fired, hitting each one with precision.

_Level 1 Complete. Starting Level 2_

"It's just like a video game." Her eyes widened as one of the targets sprinted at her. She dropped the gun and flipped backwards, her hand landing on the hilt of a knife. The target kept coming. He kicked his leg out and swiped at her feet. Rory landed on her back and rolled to the side dodging another attack. She lifted the knife and threw it at the target hitting him in the chest.

"I've still got it." She smirked to herself.

"_Hayes, can I see you on the bridge?" _Fury said over the headset.

"I'll be right there."

Rory entered the bridge and was motioned over by Coulson. She saw Steve standing next to Coulson and made her way over. When she reached them Coulson turned to her.

"So how's the VR room treating you?" he asked.

"I was almost on level 5 when I was called up here."

"VR room?" Steve inquired with a raised brow.

"Virtual Reality. It's basically computer simulations that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world. For instance, you'll be standing in the room and then it will change to say a forest or open field. From there you have holographic enemies you have to fight. You should try it out." Rory explained leaning against the railing.

"We got a match, sixty-three percent. Wait. Cross match, seventy-nine percent." Agent Sitwell said.

"Location?"

"Stuttgart, Germany. 28 Konigstrasse. He's not exactly hiding."

"Captain, you're up." Fury said.

Steve and Rory turned toward Fury up on his platform. She turned her eyes on Steve as he nodded and turned to leave. Rory followed after him, heading for the VR room again.

"Good luck, Captain." She said before parting ways. Steve watched her leave and then headed for his suit.

~R~

"Damn, that hurt." She exclaimed holding her left arm. She pulled her arm away and found it covered in blood.

The targets surrounding her, surprisingly smirked. Rory tilted her head before punching and kicking each target. Fury did a good job making sure they were close to being human as possible. They blocked and dodged her attacks like a normal person. One of them grabbed Rory's fist and landed a punch to her cheek. She flinched out of the way as the two targets hit each other. She used another as a beam and propelled herself over his head before stabbing him in the back.

The simulation ended as someone entered the control booth. She looked up and took the glasses off. Coulson stood in the booth looking down at her before his gaze moved to the windows behind her. Rory turned around and looked out the windows as Loki was escorted down the hall surrounded by multiple SHIELD agents. The God of Mischief turned his head toward her and smirked. A shiver ran down her spine at the malicious smirk.

"Everyone's meeting on the bridge. Your presence is required. They are all gonna think you were the one fighting Loki by the bruise on your face." Coulson smirked.

"…Bite me…" she replied before exiting the room.

When Rory reached the bridge she wasn't expecting to see a newcomer. The man was tall and had long blond hair. Everyone turned to look at her as she entered. She made a bee-line for a seat one down from Steve and prodded the bruise forming on her cheek.

"What happened to you?" Natasha asked with a smirk.

"I think you already know." Rory muttered leaning back in her seat.

"Those VR targets really do some damage."

"No kidding…"

They turned their attention to the monitors in front of them as Fury appeared with Loki.

"In case it's unclear if you try to escape, if you so much as scratch that glass, 30,000 feet straight down in a steel trap. You get how this works? Any boot?"

"It's an impressive cage not built for me I think."

"Built for something a lot stronger than you."

"Oh I've heard. The mindless beast that makes play he's still a man. How desperate are you? Call on such lost creatures to defend you."

"How desperate am I? You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control. You talk about peace and you kill 'cause it's fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did."

"Oooh, it burns you to have come so close. To have the Tesseract, to have power; Unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share? And then to be reminded of what real power is."

"Well, let me know if real power wants a magazine or something."

~R~

Rory rested her elbows on the table as she processed Loki's words. Mindless beast echoed in her mind as she tried to decipher what he meant.

"He really grows on you doesn't he?" Banner said a few minutes later.

"Loki's gonna drag this out. So, Thor, what's his play?" Steve added.

All eyes turned on the God as he spoke. "He has an army called the Chitauri. They're not of Asgard, nor any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the Earth, in return, I suspect for the Tesseract."

"An army from outer space."

"So he's building another portal. That's what he needs Erik Selvig for."

"Selvig?"

"He's an astrophysicist."

"He's a friend."

Natasha chose that time to speak up. "Loki has him under some kind of, spell along with one of ours."

"I want to know why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from here." Steve said.

"Is it Loki we really should be focusing on? There's more to this than we know." Rory spoke up. Everyone turned to look at her. She slouched in her seat as Banner backed her up.

"I agree. I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag full of cats. You can smell crazy on him."

"Have care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard. And he is my brother." Thor defended.

"He killed eighty people in two days." Natasha replied.

"He's adopted."

Rory controlled herself from rolling her eyes. She glanced over and saw Steve looking at her. She gave him a small smile before turning toward Banner.

"I think it's about the mechanics. Iridium…What do they need the iridium for?"

The group turned toward the door as Tony Stark and Coulson walked in. Rory heard something about a cellist before Tony began speaking.

"It's a stabilizing agent. It means the portal won't collapse on itself like it did at SHIELD. No hard feelings, Point Break. You've got a mean swing. Also it means the portal can open as wide and stay open as long, as Loki wants. That man is playing Galaga. Thought we wouldn't notice, but we did."

Steve looked over at Rory who merely shrugged and tried to hide in her seat. She didn't want to deal with Tony and his witty remarks. Tony made his way over to Fury's platform and covered one of his eyes.

"How does Fury even see these?" he asked.

"He turns." Rory said staring at the wall.

"Sounds exhausting. The rest of the raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on very easily. The only major component he still needs is a power source of high-energy density. Something to kick-start the cube. Ah if it isn't Major Rory Hayes. I'm surprised Fury called you in."

"I don't want to hear it, Tony." She said through clenched teeth. If she wasn't careful her temper would get the best of her.

"When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?" Agent Hill asked from the railing. She spared Rory a glance making sure the woman was calm. Rory gave her a nod and exhaled slowly.

"Last night. The packet. Selvig's notes, the extraction theory papers. Am I the only one who did the reading?"

"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?" Steve asked ignoring Tony's question.

"He would have to heat the Cube to 120-million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier."

"Unless Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunneling effect."

Rory looked back and forth. Here comes the talking of things she wasn't familiar with. Science wasn't her strong suit.

"Well, if he could do that, he could achieve heavy ion fusion at any reactor on the planet."

"Finally, someone who speaks English." Tony said walking over toward Banner.

"Is that what just happened?" Steve asked looking over at Rory.

"I'm just as lost as you are, Cap."

"It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner. Your work on antielectron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a big fan of how you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage-monster."

"Tony!"

"What? It's true!" Tony defended turning toward Rory.

"Thanks…" Banner said slowly.

"Dr. Banner is only here to track the Cube. I was hoping you might join him." Fury said entering the room.

"I would start with that stick of his. It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a Hydra weapon." Steve added looking over at Fury.

"I don't know about that, but it is powered by the Cube. And I would like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys."

Rory noticed the defensive look in Fury's eye when he heard Hydra. It couldn't have been the beast from mythology, could it? No that's absurd. She gave Fury a sideways stare before turning away.

"Monkeys? I do not understand." Thor said.

"I do! …I understood that reference." Steve said raising a finger. He looked around at everyone and slowly lowered his hand. Rory smiled at his reaction.

"Shall we play, Doctor?" Tony asked.

"This way, sir." Banner replied leading Tony to their lab.

That left Steve, Thor, Natasha, Fury and Rory. Natasha stood up and left heading to who knows where while Thor moseyed around looking at everything. Rory pushed up from the table and was getting ready to leave when Steve too stood up. She turned around and left heading for the VR room for one last session. Besides, beating up someone that resembled Tony would help relieve her temper. That was the only downside of being a Hayes, they had one mean temper and anyone who got in their way would be hurt.

* * *

~R~

Thanks to BlueBrainProductions I have come up with a little secret for Rory and her family. Ohh I can't wait to see if anyone knows what it is. (It won't be in the following chapters but it will appear later. I'll let everyone know so they can guess.) Reviews are welcome since they are what help me to write. I like hearing from my readers.


	4. Chapter 4

I wish to thank Theta-McBride for reviewing. I'm glad you find the story amazing. (:

~R~

* * *

Rory's training session helped her simmer down. The adrenaline coursing through her body helped keep her on her toes. The targets increased in number as the levels went higher and they were able to use any of the weapons on the ground. They were also programmed to use karate, taekwondo and any other form of fighting. Rory sat in a nearby tree waiting. She peered out from between the leaves as targets moved below her. At the start of the level she was able to take down more than half of the targets, but towards the middle of the level she got ambushed.

"Damn you Fury and your too good programing." She grumbled from her perch.

A few minutes later static came over her headset, almost making her fall from the tree. She pressed a hand to the headset and looked in the direction of the control booth. Rory pulled the hidden knife from her boot and jumped down onto the targets shoulders below her. She flipped the knife in her hand before sending it through the last targets forehead.

"_I hope I'm not interrupting." _Steve's voice came over the headset.

"Nope I was just finishing up." She replied as the room returned to normal. She removed the glasses and set them on the stand.

"_Apparently you and Stark don't get along very well."_

"You saw that?"

"_Everyone did. Mind telling me what that was about?" _

"It's a long story. I'll tell you later unless Tony beats me to it…" she muttered softly. "If you'll excuse me Captain I have to go change." Rory tossed the headset next to the glasses and disappeared into the locker room.

After a quick shower Rory pulled on the dark blue skinny jeans and army green racerback tank top from earlier. She slipped into her boots and set out to explore. The helicarrier was a maze of long hallways and no matter where Rory turned she ended right back where she was before. She groaned and leaned her back against the wall as she tried to remember from which direction she came. She pushed away from the wall and headed down the hallway in front of her.

Rory ended up a few floors down with storage rooms. She looked around at the empty hallway. A few SHIELD agents passed by but they paid her no mind. She continued down the hall until she reached a door labeled Secure Storage. Curiosity got the best of her and she peeked through the window. A familiar red, white, blue and blond figure caught her attention up on a higher level. Rory left Steve to his search and went back upstairs to Bruce and Tony's lab. She remembered passing by it a few times and received weird looks from Tony.

The lab appeared on her left when she reached the R&D floor. She walked up to the door and let herself in. The scientist and billionaire looked up upon her entrance.

"You don't mind if I hang out in here do you?" she asked.

"And here I thought you'd avoid me like the plague." Tony commented touching something on the screen.

Rory's eyes narrowed at the tone of Tony's voice; it was condescending. She didn't care for snobby people and Tony was at the top of that list. She respected the man now that he no longer manufactured weapons and for his second persona, Iron Man.

"I'll just be over here if you need me." She said walking over to a table off to the side.

~R~

The time seemed to go by like a snail. Rory watched as the two men messed with the computers and talked amongst each other. She messed with her phone while she tried not to listen to their conversation. She was saved from her eavesdropping when her phone started ringing. The men stopped what they were doing and looked over at her. She mouthed a quick sorry and answered the call.

"Hey dad." She looked over and saw Tony grinning like an idiot.

"_I just wanted to check up on you kiddo."_

"Is everything alright?" she asked, her father's tone of voice scaring her.

"_Everything's fine. It's just been a long day. Sweetie, I have to go. We'll talk later." _

Rory pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at the blank screen. Something was up with her father and she couldn't do much to help. She pocketed the phone and looked up when a shadow fell over her.

"Family trouble?" he asked pulling a screen towards him.

"It's nothing to concern yourself with, Tony." She quietly answered.

Tony glanced at her through the screen before turning it around. "Did Fury tell you anything about what was going on?"

"Besides Loki stealing the Tesseract? No. Fury told me nothing. Why?"

"What if I told you I hacked into SHIELD's database?"

"I say you have got to be kidding me. Find anything interesting?"

"Not yet, but JARVIS is working on it. You know this is the most civil conversation we've ever had."

"Surprisingly you're correct. Incoming." She said seeing Fury striding down the hall with an angry look on his face.

Tony walked back over to the lab table by the window and sat down on top. He threw away the empty bag of blueberries and inspected the screen as Fury entered.

"What are you doing, Mr. Stark?"

"Uh, kind of been wondering the same thing about you." Tony replied. Rory looked between the two confused. Obviously Fury found out about Tony's little bug but was it that bad to get so worked up over?

"You're supposed to be locating the Tesseract."

"We are. The model's locked and we're sweeping for the signature now. When we get a hit, we'll have the location within a half a mile." Banner answered.

"Yeah, then you get your Cube back. No muss, no fuss. What is "Phase 2"?" Tony asked looking at the screen in front of him.

Fury turned toward Rory with the same angry look. "Are you a part of this too, Major"

"I don't know what you're talking about." She defended herself.

Rory jumped when a weapon harshly landed on the table. She looked up and found an angry Steve.

"Phase 2 is SHIELD uses the Cube to make weapons. Sorry computer was moving a little slow for me."

"Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract. This does not mean that we're making…"

"I'm sorry, Nick. What were you lying?" Tony asked turning the screen around. Rory stood up and walked over staring at the screen. Her brows furrowed as she turned toward Fury.

"I was wrong, Director. The world hasn't changed a bit." Steve bit back.

"I better not have been called here due to that." She said pointing at the screen. Fury's eyes narrowed.

"I thought you of all people would understand, Major."

"Stop calling me that! You say it as though I work under you, well I don't. Now what the hell am I actually doing here?" she shouted as her temper rose.

"You should watch your mouth, Hayes. It will get you into a lot of trouble."

Before Rory could say anything in response Natasha and Thor entered the lab and Banner spoke up.

"Did you know about this?" he asked Natasha.

"You want to think about removing yourself from this environment, Doctor?"

"I was in Calcutta. I was pretty well removed."

"Loki is manipulating you."

"He's not even in the room." Rory said earning a glare in return.

"And you've been doing what, exactly?" Banner asked moving from behind the table.

"You didn't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you."

"Yes, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy. I'd like to know why SHIELD is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction."

"Isn't it SHIELD's job to make sure weapons of mass destruction aren't built?" Rory said crossing her arms.

"Because of him." Fury pointed at Thor. Rory followed his finger and raised an eyebrow at the god.

"Me?"

"Last year, Earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that leveled a small town. We learned that not only are we not alone but we are hopelessly, hilariously, outgunned."

"My people want nothing but peace with your planet."

"But you're not the only people out there, are you? And you're not the only threat. The world's filling up with people who can't be matched, that can't be controlled."

"Like you controlled the Cube?" Steve said.

"Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies. It is a signal to all the realms that the Earth is ready for a higher form of war." Thor replied.

"A higher form?" Steve asked looking at them. Rory leaned against the table beside Steve as the conversation continued.

"You forced our hand. We had to come up with something."

"A nuclear deterrent. Because that always calms everything right down." Tony added.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Tony. Nuclear war isn't the answer even if it's to be used against some of realm or what not." Rory backed up Tony. Tony gave her a look before turning back to Fury.

"Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark. And aren't you the one who used them?" Fury asked looking at her and Tony.

"I didn't use nuclear weapons and I never will. I'd rather resign than use those." Rory spat.

"I'm sure if he still made weapons, Stark would be neck-deep…" Steve interrupted.

"Wait, wait, hold on. How is this now about me?"

"I'm sorry, isn't everything?"

"Steve…" Rory said cautiously. The look Steve shot her made her heart melt. The pain in them was unmistakable. She shut her mouth before she said something she'd later regret.

"I thought humans were more evolved than this." Thor commented.

"Excuse me, did we come to your planet and blow stuff up?" Fury rounded on him.

"You treat your companions with such mistrust."

Rory rolled her eyes. This was getting them nowhere. She pushed away from the table as the room erupted into shouting matches. She positioned herself between Steve and Tony but it did little to help when Natasha spoke up.

"Are you boys really that naïve? SHEILD monitors potential threats."

"Captain America's on threat watch?" Banner incredulously asked.

"We all are. Even her." Natasha said pointing at Rory.

"I'm a potential threat? How is that possible?" She growled. Fury turned on her.

"It's because of your family's secret. That's right, I know about that and so will everyone else if something were to happen. I'm not taking any chances."

"You Sonofabitch. My family's secret is to help people! Not turn against them and cause a war!" Rory shouted her anger reaching its limits.

"Wait, you're on that list? Are you above or below angry bees?" she heard Tony ask Steve.

"Stark, so help me God, if you make one more wisecrack…"

"Threat! Verbal threat. I feel threatened." Tony exclaimed.

"Show some respect."

"Respect what?" Tony challenged.

"Tony!"

"Why are you defending this old man? You only got to the position you're at because of your father."

"That's not true, Tony."

"Oh really? Daddy dearest is a Colonel is he not? All he had to do was have the general accept his offer to make you a Major. You didn't do anything to earn that title. Personally I don't think you ever fought in a war."

"Leave her alone, Stark." Steve said stepping in front of her.

"What? Are you protecting her now? She's gotta be the most useless person on this carrier."

"You really are an ass, Tony. No wonder you don't have very many friends…" Rory venomously spat. She removed herself from the center of the chaos and faced a wall. She closed her eyes and inhaled and exhaled to calm herself down. If she didn't calm down soon all hell would break loose and there was no stopping it. The arguing grew louder and it wasn't helping her situation any and after Tony's outburst it made it much harder.

"Shut up." She said softly.

"You speak of control, yet you court chaos."

"That's his M.O, isn't it? I mean, what are we, a team? No, we're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're a time bomb."

"You need to step away." Fury said.

"Why shouldn't the guy let off some steam?" Tony asked clapping Steve on the shoulder.

"You know damn well why. Back off!"

"I'm starting to want you to make me."

"Yeah. Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?"

"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."

"I know guy with none of that worth ten of you. I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you."

"I think I would just cut the wire."

"Always a way out. You may not be a threat but you better stop pretending to be a hero."

"A hero? Like you? You're a laboratory experiment, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle."

"Shut up…" Rory said again but no one listened.

"Put on the suit. Let's go a few rounds."

Thor laughs, "You people are so petty and tiny."

"Shut up!" Rory shouted. The room fell silent as they turned to face her. Her eyes were narrowed and her fists were clenched tightly causing her nails to dig into her skin and bleed. However the silence didn't last long.

"Agent Romanoff, would you escort Banner back to his…" Fury began to say.

"Where? You rented my room."

"The cell was just in case…"

"In case you needed to kill me. But you can't. I know, I tried. I got low. I didn't see an end. So, I put a bullet in my mouth, and the other guy spit it out. So I moved on. I focused on helping other people. I was good. Until you dragged me back into this freak show and out everyone here at risk. You want to know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You want to know how I stay calm?"

Rory's eyes returned to normal as she looked over at Banner. She saw him reach for the spear and slowly reached for the gun strapped to her thigh. She pulled it from the holster and cocked it causing everyone to turn and look at her.

"Dr. Banner, put down the scepter." Steve said slowly turning away from Rory. He kept a close eye on her just in case. The computer started beeping and Banner set the scepter down. Rory lowered her gun as he walked over to the computer to check it out. A hand was placed on her shoulder as Steve looked down at her.

"Are you alright?" he quietly asked.

"I'm fine…I just don't like shouting." She replied.

"Sorry."

"You don't have anything to be sorry for. Stuff like this happens all the time. I guess I should be used to it by now. Just so you know I worked my butt off to earn the title I have. I'm not one to let someone else make all the decisions for me. My father is a good man and he would never do anything to help me succeed, unless I asked for it. I'm a Major due to my hard work and dedication to saving people's lives."

* * *

~O~

And so it has been revealed why Tony and Rory don't get along, if you missed it then I suggest going back through and finding it. Then if you are still stuck let me know! Oh and do you know how tedious it is to type all of those quotes while watching the movie? I had to keep pausing the movie so I got them right! Geez! Anywho I'll have the next chapter up tomorrow!


	5. Chapter 5

I just want to start off by saying thank you to the lovely's MorWolfMor, Cara Tala and Theta-McBride for reviewing! I'm glad you're all enjoying the story and mean Tony won't be mean for much longer I promise. :D I don't like a mean Tony, but it had to be done.

Anywho, hope you all enjoy this next chapter!

~R~

* * *

Steve gave Rory a small smile before walking forward as everyone gathered around the table Bruce stood at.

"You located the Tesseract?" Thor asked.

"I could get there faster." Tony said getting ready to leave.

"The Tesseract belongs on Asgard. No human is a match for it.

"You're not going alone." Steve said grabbing Tony's upper arm.

Rory exhaled sharply. Here we go again…

"You're gonna stop me?"

"Put on the suit, let's find out."

"I'm not afraid to hit an old man."

"Put on the suit."

"Would you two stop it? This fighting isn't getting us anywhere! We're all grownups here so either shut up or leave the room before I make you." Rory harshly said silencing the two men.

Rory turned her attention on to Bruce and saw the expression on his face. "Dr. Banner?"

The computer continued to beep until an explosion ripped through the helicarrier. Rory was thrown to the floor with Steve and Tony. She shielded her head with her arms to keep it from hitting the floor. A body loomed over her and shielded her from any flying debris.

"You alright?" Steve asked moving away. Rory nodded and sat up.

"Put on the suit." Steve said to Tony helping him up.

"Yep."

She watched as they both ran from the room. Rory glanced around the room, her eyes landing on the gaping hole where Bruce and Natasha previously were. She climbed to her feet and walked over to the hole.

"Are you two okay down there?" she called as Natasha looked up.

"Go on and get out of here. We'll be fine…" Natasha didn't sound too sure but Rory respected her order and left the room.

The hallways were bustling with SHIELD agents. Rory ran down the hallways gently pushing people out of her way as she reached the armory. She grabbed an MP-5 sub-machine gun along with an M-9 handgun.

"_The enemy is wearing SHIELD uniforms!"_ Fury's voice came over head.

Rory ran from the room and headed for the bridge. The first enemy she encountered was taken out quickly with a bullet to the thigh. She jumped over him and turned the corner only to be met with a hail of gunfire. Rory ducked back around the corner and crouched before peering out. She aimed and fired killing each target with well-practiced ease.

"Freeze." A man said behind her. She felt the barrel of a gun pressed to her head and slowly raised her hands. "Drop your weapon and turn around."

She did as she was told and once she faced him she smirked. Her left hand flew out and grabbed the barrel of the gun while her right hand pressed below the crease of the man's wrist between the radius and ulna bones. The man's hand went numb and he released the gun. Rory's quick reflexes allowed her to grab the gun and turn it on the man before he recovered. She fired without flinching as the man fell backwards. She tossed the gun at his feet and picked up her discarded one.

"_Major Hayes, you're assistance is requested on the bridge." _

"On my way." She replied before running off.

~R~

"Damn, how many enemies does SHIELD have?" Rory muttered to herself as she took out another seven enemies. She peered around the corner as enemies kept running toward the bridge only to be shot. Her eyes widened as they spotted her and fired. "Oh shit."

Rory pulled her head from around the corner as bullets flew by her. She reloaded her gun and cocked it before opening fire. They dropped like flies as another tried to enter the bridge. Once the last one was dead, Rory ran forward and grabbed a stray, putting him in a chokehold until he stopped moving. She glanced into the room, quickly raising her hands as Fury's gun was aimed at her.

"Whoa, don't shoot!" She said.

"I want you to meet up with Rogers and Stark. They might need your help." Fury quickly replied giving her their location.

With a quick nod she ran off once again. She reached her destination only to find more enemies firing on Steve. One of them threw a grenade only to have Steve jump and smack it out of the air. Rory went to fire only to have the gun click empty. The sound got the men's attention along with Steve's. She tossed the gun aside and pulled out the M-9 handgun and deftly shot the man closest to her. Another went down as Steve found a gun. Rory ducked around the corner as more showed up.

"They just won't give up." Rory said moving around the corner and firing. A stray bullet grazed the side of her arm. She ignored the pain and killed what she hoped was the last enemy. Steve covered her from the raised platform as she reloaded her gun. When she looked up Steve was nowhere to be seen.

"Steve?" she called out concerned. "Steve?!"

After taking a quick glance to make sure the coast was clear she looked for a way to climb up the platform. She found a ledge and pulled herself up and onto the platform. Rory looked out and saw Steve dangling in the wind. A few bullets bounced off the wall above her head causing her to lie on her stomach. She looked behind her and saw two more men and groaned.

"Give me a freaking break!" She said pulling a knife from her right boot. Rory jumped to her feet and threw the knife before he was able to take another shot. The knife hit its mark, killing him instantly.

"Rory! The lever!" Steve shouted.

"What?"

"The lever next to you!"

Rory turned to her right and saw the red lever. She went to pull it as Steve started pulling himself along the wire. Her hand grabbed the lever and pulled it down. She felt the helicarrier shift and steady itself in the air. Steve stood up next to her as Tony flew past them and taking out the remaining enemy. Rory leaned her back and head against the wall as she left out a long sigh.

"_It's Coulson…" _Fury said over the intercom. _"They called it."_

~R~

The two of the three remaining Avengers were seated at the table. The back of Tony's chair faced Steve as Rory walked in. She was sent to the medical bay to get her arm checked out and cleaned. It wasn't terrible, just superficial. She had changed out of her clothes into a new pair upon the doctor's request. She messed with the bandage as she walked toward the bridge; her military boots echoing along the hallways. When Rory reached the bridge it was silent except for the agents trying to get their communications system back up. She glanced over at Fury before taking her seat to Steve's right.

"These were in Phil Coulson's jacket. Guess he never did get you to sign them." Fury said tossing Captain America trading cards on the table. Rory looked down at them with a sad expression. She looked up at Steve as he reached forward and grabbed one with blood on it. She looked down at the table and cradled her head in her hands.

"We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, location of the cube, Banner, Thor. I got nothing for you. Lost my one good eye. Maybe I had that coming." He paused, "Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number though, because I was playing something even riskier. There was an idea, Stark knows this, called The Avengers Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea, in heroes."

Rory looked up as Tony silently stormed from the room. Her eyes lingered on his back before she glanced at Fury.

"Well, it's an old fashioned notion." Fury said shaking his head. Rory pushed away from the table and set out to search for Tony.

Rory was halfway down to the detention level when she stopped walking. She stood in the center of the hallway and stared down at her shoes, her hair creating a curtain around her face. She was vaguely aware of the sound of running footsteps approaching her, but she did not move.

"Ma'am?" Steve asked approaching her. He placed a hand on her shoulder when he saw them shaking. He wasn't sure of the proper way to handle a crying woman.

"Coulson was the only one besides my father who believed in me. It was Phil who told me to prove myself to the higher ups. He saw I had potential and even said he'd recruit me to work with SHIELD when I was ready. I'm not going to let him done not after everything he's done for me." She said lifting her head.

"From what I've seen today I believe in you too. C'mon let's find Stark." Steve said patting her shoulder.

They reached the holding cell Loki was held in and found Tony. He was standing looking down as they entered. Rory followed behind Steve as they walked up and over to the edge. Steve leaned against the railing and crossed his arms while Rory crouched down. She watched as clouds passed below them.

"Was he married?" Steve asked.

"No. There was a cellist, I think." Tony replied not looking up.

"I'm sorry. He seemed like a good man."

"He was an idiot."

"Why? For believing?"

"For taking on Loki alone."

"He was doing his job."

"He was out of his league. He should have waited." Tony scoffed, "He should have…"

Rory looked over at Tony. She recognized the look in his eyes. It was the same look she wore whenever she lost a soldier, a friend. She turned her attention to the blood stain on the wall and couldn't even begin to imagine the pain Coulson was in.

"Sometimes there isn't a way out, Tony."

"Right, I've heard that before."

""Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. Winston Churchill once said." Rory said out of the blue. Steve and Tony looked down at her. She didn't acknowledge their looks as she tossed a piece of debris.

"Is this the first time you lost a soldier?" Steve said a few minutes later.

"We are not soldiers." Tony bit back.

""No you're not, but you don't have to be a soldier to have courage and fight for what's right. Coulson had that courage and I won't let his death be in vain. He was the most courageous out of all of us." Rory said turning from the edge.

"I'm not marching to Fury's fife." Tony looked at them, his eyes lingering on Rory for her answer. She shook her head and crossed her arms.

"Neither are we. He's got the same blood on his hands that Loki does. But right now we got to put that behind us and get this done. Loki needs a power source. If we can put together a list…"

"He made it personal."

"That's not the point."

"Tony's right Steve." Rory agreed.

"That is the point. That's Loki's point. He hit us all right where we live. Why?"

"To tear us apart."

"Yeah, divide and conquer is great but he knows he has to take us out to win, right? That's what he wants. He wants to beat us; he wants to be seen doing it. He wants an audience."

"Right. I caught his act in Stuttgart."

"Yeah, that was just previews. This is opening night. And Loki, he's a full-tilt diva, right? He wants flowers, he wants parades. He wants a monument built in the skies with his name plastered…" Tony trailed off as realization dawned on him.

"Tony?" Rory asked raising an eyebrow.

"Son of a bitch."

Rory ran after the two as they headed to their respected rooms. Tony veered off from their small group and went to work on fixing his suit. Steve continued down the corridor as Rory followed.

"We're really going to do this aren't we?" she inquired.

"It's as you said Coulson was the most courageous out of all of us and we won't let Loki get away with what he's done. Do you have a suit?"

"You're looking at most of it." She replied holding her arms out to the side. Steve gave her a look to which she rolled her eyes. "It's not like I brought a military uniform with me. Besides I don't need a special suit to fight, you'll see."

"Alright then suit up and meet on the flight deck."

"Copy that, Captain." Rory gave him a salute and a smile before turning on her heel and leaving.

* * *

~R~

Sorry if it feels like I'm dragging out the chapters but I don't want to put everything in one. Don't forget to review! :D They keep me writing.


	6. Chapter 6

A shout out to Cara Tala and Theta-McBride for reviewing. :D

Theta-McBride: Sadly yes, Coulson is dead…or is he? Dundundun!

Here is the link for Rory's outfit in case you would like to actually see it. www. polyvore dot com/cgi/set?id=62989723

~R~

* * *

Steve dressed in the rest of his uniform went in search of Natasha. He looked down each hallway for any sign of Rory, but she was nowhere to be seen. It had been a little over ten minutes since they split up. He found the room Natasha was in and opened the door.

"Time to go."

"Go where?"

"I'll tell you on the way. Can you one of those jets?

"I can." Barton said walking into the room.

Steve glanced over at Natasha who nodded her head confirming he was on their side. He looked back over at Barton. "You got a suit?"

"Yeah."

"Then suit up." He said before turning and leaving.

Rory was still nowhere to be found as the trio headed for a Quinjet. They walked on board unaware of the person hiding inside.

"You guys aren't authorized to be in here." The young pilot said.

"Son, just don't."

They pilot scrambled off the jet as Barton and Natasha took the pilot and co-pilot seats. Steve stood at the ramp keeping an eye out for Rory. He turned around when a familiar voice was heard behind him.

"You sure took your sweet time. I've been waiting for ever it seems like." Rory emerged from the dark corner.

Steve took in her outfit. It consisted of dark jeans, a black tank top and black military combat boots. A holster was fastened around her left thigh and equipped with a gun. However a small pack was fastened around her right, but the device around her wrist was what caught his attention. He looked up at her with a questioning expression.

"What's that?"

"It's called a stinger, a hidden dagger with wrist sheath. And there goes Tony." She said pointing at Tony's Iron Man suit.

Barton started up the jet and they were in the air heading for Manhattan. Rory took a seat on the bench and leaned back against the wall. She could feel in her bones that a war was brewing and it will take everything they have to defeat this alien army Thor informed them of. She was trained for war and even fought in one, but war with an alien race? This was going to be something entirely new.

"Here you'll want this. It will patch you through to everyone." Steve said holding out an earpiece.

"Thanks." Rory replied taking the earpiece and putting it in.

~R~

They arrived in Manhattan to see the first wave of Chitauri warriors make their appearance. Rory spotted a small group of them on the ground below surrounding civilians. She walked to the back of the jet and opened the hatch.

"What are you doing?" Steve asked.

"Get me to a close jumping distance. I'll help them while you guys back up Stark."

"You sure you want to do this alone?" Natasha asked as she flipped a few switches and the jet descended.

"I've taken on more than that by myself before, it'll be interesting." Rory smiled and got ready to jump.

"Be careful, Rory." Steve said.

Rory looked over her shoulder at him with a smile, "I will, Captain." Then she jumped from the jet. She landed on the roof of a car and kneeled down. A few of the Chitauri turned at her appearance and trained their weapons on her. Rory jumped off the roof as a blast destroyed the car. She saw the shadow of the jet above her, but with a wave of her hand it flew off. The Chitauri advanced on her ignoring the civilians. Rory gave them a signal to run while she fought them off. Reaching into the pack around her right thigh Rory pulled out three throwing knives. Each knife embedded itself in the heads of three of the five Chitauri. The last two stopped and looked at their fallen comrades before turning back to her.

"Oops." She said feigning innocence.

The Chitauri attacked, putting her on the defensive. She ducked and spun out of the way as they swung at her with their thin energy rifles. The bayonet on one of their rifles nearly pierced her shoulder, but at the last minute Rory grabbed it and stabbed the alien in the throat with a knife. She flipped the rifle in her hand and shot at the last one before dropping the weapon. A crashing sound had her head whipping around in the direction of the bridge. Rory took off running through the streets and maneuvering around the abandoned cars.

"_Stark, Rory, are you seeing this?" _Steve's voice came over the intercom.

"_I'm seeing, still working on believing. Where's Banner? Has he shown up yet?"_

"_Banner?"_

"_Just keep me posted." _

"Steve, I'm heading to your location. I…holy shit!" Rory exclaimed as a Chitauri landed in front of her.

"_Rory? Rory, is everything alright?" _Steve asked concern lacing his voice.

"I'm gonna have to get back to you on that." She answered before rolling to the side.

She didn't have time to get to her feet as a bayonet descended upon her. Rory's eyes widened as she caught the point with her hand. The blade sliced her hand, blood landing on her face. The Chitauri applied more pressure and pushed the blade closer to her throat. The point was directly above her throat when it disappeared along with the alien. The red, white and blue Captain was a sight for sore eyes. Steve held out a hand for Rory to take. When she grabbed his wrist Steve pulled her up. His eyes landed on her bleeding palms.

"Can you still fight?" he asked inspecting her hands.

"Yeah. Yeah I can still fight. Two cuts aren't enough to put me out of commission."

"Alright. Think you can head for Stark Tower? Try and see if there's any way to close the portal."

"Just so you know I won't be scaling any building. But I can get into Stark Tower."

"_And how exactly are you going to do that?" _Tony cut in.

"I have my ways, Tony. However, it would make my job a lot easier if you just have JARVIS let me in."

"_Since I like to make things difficult you'll have to find your own way in. Have fun."_

"Stark, just let her in." Steve said annoyed.

"Don't worry about it Steve. I know how to get into buildings without being seen."

"Does that have something to do with your family secret?" he inquired.

"Possibly… Well we better get moving, Captain. I'll let you know when I'm inside." She saluted before running toward the tower.

* * *

~R~

And so it begins! What could Rory's family secret be? Stay tuned to find out! Oh and don't forget to review! I like knowing what my readers think!


	7. Chapter 7

Theta-McBride: It's probably not that great of a family secret but you find out what it is in this chapter! :D

AdonCa: I know the whole thing with Tony was callous, but there was a small point behind it and not just her showing off her 'family secret'. Tony likes to joke and that's what all that was and it's stated in this chapter.

Cara Tala: Woo another review! :D You'll find out what her 'family secret' is in this chapter, but I highly doubt it's anything amazing. It came to me after watching a TV show and figured 'hey I should use that!' XD Thanks again!

~R~

* * *

Rory reached Stark Tower after dodging attacks from the Chitauri. Upon reaching the door she found it wasn't locked. She raised an eyebrow but brushed it off and ran inside for the elevator. She pressed the button for the top floor and leaned against the wall. The elevator came to a sudden stop two floors below her destination. She sighed and pressed a hand to her ear piece.

"Tony did you have anything to do with the elevator shutting down?"

"_Nope, it was shut down from the inside."_

"So Loki has control of the top floor, right? I'm going to need to find an alternate route."

"_I remember telling you I wasn't going to help you." _

"When life depends on it you always come through in the end. Now please, does the hatch above me open?"

"_Planning on climbing your way up?" _

"Exactly. Can I expect the doors to be open once I'm up there?"

"_There open as we speak. Got to go and Hayes, try not to wreck my home too much."_

"I'll try not to, Tony." She rolled her eyes.

Rory opened the hatch and pulled herself up on top of the elevator. She looked up gauging how far she had to climb. Without the proper equipment it would be harder, but she'd manage. She reached up and grabbed a hold of a ledge and began her climb. Rory continued to climb until she reached the floor. She pulled herself up onto the ledge and tried to pull the door open.

"Tony, the door is not open."

"_Give me a second." _

The door pinged a few seconds later and opened. Rory stepped through and ran down the hallway to a stairwell. She ran up the stairs but when she reached the top floor she stealthily climbed the last stairs. The pad beside the door was green letting her know it was open.

"Steve, I'm in."

"_Be careful of Loki's scepter. If you need to get out of there don't hesitate to." _

"Got it." She replied gently pushing the door open. She slipped through the door and quietly shut it. Loki stood out on the balcony overlooking the destruction going on. Rory flicked her wrist and the dagger slid from its sheath. She was light on her feet as she approached the god. When she reached the bar Loki turned around only to find the room empty. His brows furrowed as he turned back to the city. Rory peeked around the bar before staying low and walking out onto the balcony. When she made her way to the stairs Loki's icy voice behind her made her freeze.

"Well if it isn't the Major, or should I say assassin?"

"Actually, I'm more of a retrieval specialist or Fixer, but how do you…" Rory asked not turning around.

"Know that? This isn't the first time I've encountered one of your kind, then again you're not like the other ones. You're well trained in the art of killing and know how to not make mistakes. It's no wonder you were able to sneak up on me; you did better than that mewling quim. You'd make a perfect ally. So what do you say, join me and I'll spare your life."

Rory scoffed and turned around with narrowed eyes and a smirk. "Sorry, I already have a team and I won't betray them no matter what you say."

"You insolent little wench!" Loki said raising the scepter. Rory brought her dagger up and blocked the scepter. She pushed the scepter away and rolled behind him only to be caught in a chokehold.

She gripped Loki's double's arm as the real Loki walked toward her. Her eyes remained on the scepter as it stayed by his side. When he was directly in front of her, he reached for her chin and forced her to face him.

"What would your father think if he saw you like this? His daughter and most trusted retrieval specialist in trouble. Maybe you aren't as great as I believed. How pathetic."

"Then why don't you go ahead and kill me."

"Why do that when I can control your mind?" Loki devilishly grinned. Rory's eye widened when he raised the scepter toward her heart. Her mind was racing trying to think of a way to escape. She glanced over at the edge of the tower when she saw Thor flying towards them. She braced herself as Thor grabbed his brother, making the double disappear and drop her. Thor glanced down to make sure she was okay before turning all his attention on Loki.

"Look at this! Look around you! You think this madness will end with your rule?"

"It's too late. It's too late to stop it."

"No. We can, together."

Loki pulled out a knife and stabbed Thor. "Sentiment. Do you even know who you ally yourself with? Do you know who she truly is and what she does? Is she any better than I?" he turned toward Rory and threw a few knives at her and watched as she screamed in pain as they embedded in her shoulder, thigh and stomach. Thor knocked Loki to the ground and watched as his brother rolled over the edge.

"_Rory! Rory answer me! What happened?" _

Rory ignored Steve's cries as she blinked through the pain. Thor knelt down beside her after tossing a knife to the side.

"I am going to remove the knives. It will hurt but only for a few seconds." He said gripping the knife in her shoulder. She nodded and closed her eyes waiting for the knife to be removed. Thor gripped her shoulder and swiftly pulled the knife out. Rory stifled a shout as she bit her lip causing it to bleed. Thor gripped the one in her stomach and started to remove it, but Rory stopped him.

"No don't. It's too deep. I'll pass out from blood loss before the battles over."

"You cannot fight with those in. They must be removed."

"I'll manage. Can you get me down to Steve and the others?"

Thor nodded and gently picked her up making sure to not hit the knives. He swung his hammer and took off into the air before landing down beside Steve, Natasha and Barton. Steve turned to look at them only to find Rory leaning against Thor for support.

"The powers surrounding the cube are impenetrable." Thor said.

"_Thor's right, we gotta deal with these guys." Tony said through his suit._

"How do we do this?" Natasha asked.

"As a team." Steve replied.

"I have unfinished business with Loki."

"Yeah, get in line." Barton butts in.

"Save it. Loki's gonna keep this fight focused on us and that's what we need. Without him these things could run wild. We got Stark on top, he's gonna need us…" Steve began to say but paused when the sound of a motorbike pierced the air.

Everyone turned to find Bruce riding up to them. He turned off the bike and climbed off. "So, this all seems horrible."

"I've seen worse." Natasha added.

"Sorry."

"No, we could use a little worse."

Steve pressed a finger to his earpiece, "Stark, we got him, Banner, just like you said."

"_Tell him to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you."_

Rory stumbles backwards into Steve as Tony rounds the corner along with a Leviathan on his tail. Steve steady's her before she could fall over, his hand brushing against the knife. Rory hissed in pain and clutched her side.

"I don't see how that's a party." Natasha commented.

Bruce turned around and walked toward the flying Leviathan ship. Rory watched as he didn't change as the ship got closer.

"Dr. Banner now might be a good time for you to get angry."

"That's my secret, Cap. I'm always angry."

Rory's eyes widened as she watched Bruce transform into the giant green rage monster Tony called him. She remembered seeing an image of him but she never seen the Hulk in person; at least not until now. She took another step back along with everyone else as the Hulk smashed the Leviathan's head causing its tail to go over its head. Tony flew forward and fired missiles at the tail blowing it to pieces. Steve shielded Rory as debris fell around them.

"Please tell me there's no more of those things…" Rory said with a cringe of pain.

"You should get somewhere safe. You can't fight with those knives hindering your movement." Steve said gripping her uninjured shoulder.

"I'm a part of this team and I refuse to leave anyone of you. I'm staying and this is the only time I'm pulling the 'I'm a Major card'." She replied giving him a small smirk. Steve shook his head and smiled.

"Guys…" Natasha said pulling them from their little moment.

Steve and Rory turned and saw more Leviathan's come through the portal.

"This is gonna be fun..." she muttered looking up.

"Call it Captain." Tony said landing next to Rory. He turned his helmeted head toward her, keeping his mouth shut from commenting on what occurred between her and Loki. He had purposely cut the feed from her earpiece to the others to keep them from finding out her 'secret'.

"Alright, listen up. Until we can close that portal up there, we're gonna use containment. Barton, I want you on that roof, eyes on everything. Call out patterns and strays. Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out; you turn it back or turn it to ash."

"Wanna give me a lift?" Barton asked Tony.

"Right. Better clench up, Legolas." Tony replied before grabbing Barton and taking off.

"Thor, you've gotta try and bottleneck that portal, slow them down. You've got the lightning, light the bastards up. You, me and Rory, we'll stay here on the ground, keep the fighting here. And Hulk, smash."

The Hulk grinned before jumping and landing on a building before taking out a few Chitauri soldiers. Rory pulled out her gun and loading it; the gun would be easier to fire instead of throwing knives. She'd save them as a last resort. Natasha and Steve went to work disposing of the enemies. Rory busied herself with a few stray civilians before joining the fray. Once the last civilian was away from harm a few Chitauri surrounded her with weapons raised.

"Really? Can't you see I'm busy?" she sighed turning around.

The Chitauri fired at Rory but she side-stepped their energy blasts and shot them in the head. She spun around just in time to see the Captain's shield bounce off two of the Chitauri and knocking them away from her. She nodded her head in thanks and proceeded to fight, Steve watching her back. They stood side by side as they fought off the Chitauri. Rory cringed and exhaled sharply as the knife in her stomach was bumped.

"Captain, I'm going to need you to cover me for a few seconds." Rory said gripping the knife.

Before Steve could ask her what she meant she pulled the knife out and quickly clutched the wound. She closed her eyes and took in a few deep breaths and exhaled slowly. Her eyes slowly opened as she threw the knife at an incoming Chitauri hitting him in the forehead. She turned around and threw another knife at the Chitauri behind Steve. He turned to see the downed alien before giving Rory a nod. They headed toward Natasha as she took out a few Chitauri with their own weapon. She swung around about to shoot at Steve and Rory but lowered the weapon. She leaned against the car.

"Captain, none of this is gonna mean a damn thing if we don't close that portal." Natasha said.

"Our biggest guns couldn't touch it."

"Well, maybe it's not about guns."

"You wanna get up there, you're gonna need a ride."

"I got a ride. I could use a lift though." She replied looking up. Rory looked up and saw the hover boards. She stared at Natasha before getting out of her path. Steve took a few steps back and readied himself.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah, it's gonna be fun."

Rory shot at the Chitauri advancing on them as Natasha grabbed onto the hover board and climbed on.

"_So Hayes, are you busy?" _

"What is it, Tony?"

"_I need another sharp eye on a roof. Mind volunteering?" _

"Just so you know I don't have a rifle…" Rory answered killing another Chitauri.

"_National Guard is two blocks from your current location. Let me know when you're in position and I'll send some of these guys your way." _

Rory shot one last Chitauri before bolting down the street. She rounded the corner and found the National Guard. She jogged over and nabbed one of the spare sniper rifles in the back of the jeep. Once armed, she made her way back to the bridge and located Barton.

"Tony, where do you want me to go?" she asked looking at the building across from Barton.

"_The building in front of you and across from Legolas there." _

"Got it." She took one last look around to see Steve had disappeared. Turning back to the building Rory sprinted across the street and took the stairs two at a time to the roof. The roof door burst open and banged against the wall. Rory ran over to the ledge and set up the rifle.

"I'm here, Tony."

"_Get ready to have some fun, Hayes. I'm bringing another party to you." _

* * *

~R~

…I wasn't sure where to end this chapter, but I think that's a perfect spot! The conclusion to the battle will be in the next chapter. And if anyone knows where the Retrieval Specialist is from will get a virtual cookie! :D


	8. Chapter 8

Sorry about the delay. I just got a new job and have been busy with training, but now I am back! :D

www. polyvore dot com/cgi/set?id=63348088 - This is Rory's outfit at the end.

Disclaimer: I only own Rory and her dad. Enjoy!

~R~

* * *

Rory and Barton's shooting from the roof tops helped clear the air of the Chitauri. Each bullet and arrow hit their target with precision. Rory looked up and then back through the scope as another Chitauri headed for the gap between her and Barton. She lined up the target in the scope as Barton did the same. Rory pulled the trigger and took the Chitauri out as Barton's arrow embedded itself in the wall a few feet behind her.

"_That still counts as my target." _

"I do believe my bullet hit him and not your arrow which is currently sticking in the wall behind me."

"_I wanna weigh in this counting game." _Tony said.

"You're not the one just sitting on a roof top. We need something to keep us roof-dwellers occupied."

"_I call this next one!" _Barton said as Loki and Natasha headed for them.

Rory rolled off her stomach to her knees and looked out at the city; Barton had to abandon his position due to Chitauri scaling the building. An explosion caught her attention down below followed by Steve being blown out the window of the bank. And the next thing she knew was the Hulk scaling the side of Stark Tower and jumping to the top.

"_I can close it! Can anybody hear me? I can shut the portal down!" _Natasha said.

"_Do it!" _

"_No, wait!" _

"_Stark, these things are still coming!"_

"_I got a nuke coming in, it's gonna blow in less than a minute. And I know just where to put it." _

"Tony…"

"_Don't be going all soft one me yet, Major. I like our little fights." _

"_Stark, you know that's a one way trip." _Steve added.

Rory watched as Stark used the last of his suits power and flew straight through the portal. She waited with bated breath as he disappeared from sight. The explosion of the Chitauri mother ship could be seen a few minutes later; her heart sank.

"_Close it." _Steve said after there was no sign of Tony returning.

Rory lifted her rifle and looked through the scope at the portal. She closed her left eye as she looked for Stark as the portal began to close. Once the portal closed she could see a small red and gold object free-falling.

"Steve!" Rory exclaimed.

"_Sun of a gun!" _

"_He's not slowing down!" _Thor replied twirling his hammer.

Rory put the safety on and tucked the rifle under her arm before climbing down the fire escape. When she was a few feet from the ground she jumped off and ran toward Steve and Thor. Once she reached the group the Hulk had grabbed Tony from the air and landed on the ground. She ran passed the Hulk sized smashed car before reaching the others. Thor ripped Tony's faceplate off and tossed it aside. Tony's arc reactor didn't glow. Rory rested the rifle against her side as she lowered her head, only to be startled by the Hulk roaring.

"What the hell? What just happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me?" Tony said startled.

"We won." Steve replied.

"Alright. Hey. Alright. Good job, guys. Let's just not come in tomorrow. Let's just take a day. Have you ever tried shawarma? There's a shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don't know what it is, but I wanna try it."

"We're not finished yet." Thor said looking up at the Tower.

"And then shawarma after."

Rory held a hand out toward Tony. He looked at her but then grabbed her hand as she helped him up.

"Truce?" she asked still holding onto his hand.

"Truce." Tony answered giving her hand a shake.

~R~

After the battle the group dispersed and changed out of their battle damaged clothes. Rory stomped through the city towards Central Park after multiple failed attempts at hailing a taxi. She pulled the brim of the olive green military hat down to hide her glare from the people around her. The sound of a motorcycles engine roared behind her. Rory didn't stop walking as the motorcycle pulled up beside her.

"Rory?"

Rory stopped mid-step at the familiar voice. She turned to her left and spotted Steve sitting atop the motorcycle. "Steve?"

"Do you need a ride?"

"If you don't mind."

"I wouldn't have asked if I did." Steve smiled.

"…Fair point." She walked over and climbed on behind Steve. She locked her arms around his middle as they pulled away from the curb.

The ride was pleasant; the wind gently whipped through their hair as the air brushed their skin. Rory made sure her hat was still situated on her head as they went. Occasionally, Steve would glance over his shoulder at Rory to see a well content smile on her face. When they arrived at Central Park the rest of the group was ready and waiting. Thor led a muzzled and bound Loki to the center of the groups circle as Tony unclasped his briefcase. He pulled out the Tesseract and handed one of the handles to Thor. Rory and Steve stood side by side as they watched Thor and Loki were transported back to Asgard. Rory turned away from the group but was stopped by Tony.

"You didn't join us for shawarma." He said walking up to her, his hands in his pockets.

"I had to take care of something." She replied turning around.

"You were on the clock weren't you?"

"Can we talk about this somewhere else?"

"Well I'm a little busy, remember? My Tower was practically ruined and needs fixing, but how does tomorrow sound?"

"Thank you, Tony. If you'll excuse me I have one last thing to handle." Rory turned on her heel and left the park unaware of a certain Captain watching her. She reminded Steve of Peggy; she is a talented and skilled agent, had impeccable aim and had to prove herself to others that she is worthy of her current position as Major.

The sound of people, kids and pets running and walking around the park was a nice change from the battle damaged city. The moment was broken when her phone started ringing. Rory reached into her jacket pocket, pulling out her phone and answering it.

"Hello?"

"_Major Hayes?" _A man said in a distressed tone of voice.

Rory's eyebrows furrowed. That wasn't her father. "Yes, who is this? Where's my father?"

"_I'm afraid there's been an incident, Major. You're father…"_

"Damn it, tell me where he is!" she exclaimed gaining a few people's attention.

"_If you want your father to remain unharmed, I suggest you listen very closely." _A man with a Russian accent said.

"I'm listening…"

"_I want you to retrieve a bracelet." _

"A bracelet?"

"_The Banshee's Bracelet of Screams to be more precise. You better move quickly Major, you only have seventy-two hours before dear old daddy does something he doesn't want to. Good luck _Rory _I'll be in touch." _

"You bastard…"

"_Oh and don't bother asking your friends for help because by tomorrow morning you'll be their enemy." _

The dial tone sounded as Rory stared straight ahead. She slowly lowered the phone from her ear and turned around. Tony, Bruce, Natasha, Barton and Steve still stood where she left them. Steve and Tony shook hands as Natasha handed Bruce a bag. Rory tore her eyes away and turned around when Steve looked in her general direction. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before taking off running.

"Rory!" Steve shouted after her. "Rory!"

"Let her go, Cap. She'll be back." Tony said before climbing into his car with Bruce and speeding off.

Steve looked back in the direction Rory took off in, but didn't see her. He climbed back on his motorcycle and headed back to his apartment.

* * *

~R~

Once I get home I shall start on the next chapter and hopefully have it up later tonight/early tomorrow morning. Anyways, who was on the phone? Where's her father? Stay tuned! :D


	9. Chapter 9

If anyone doesn't know where the term Retrieval Specialist comes from it's from the TV show Leverage. Which I do not own. (: Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I only own Rory.

~R~

* * *

Tony stood in his penthouse at Stark Tower trying to get a hold of Rory. She hadn't met him for their little 'talk' as promised and now she wasn't answering his calls.

"_Sir, there is a Nick Fury on the line for you."_

"I'm a little busy."

"_He's persisting, sir. Says it's urgent." _

"I can't catch a break…Put him through."

"_Stark, we need to talk."_

"Really? I thought you just called to say hi."

"_This isn't time for jokes, Stark. I need you on the helicarrier in fifteen minutes."_

"What's happened this time, Nick?"

"_It's Hayes." _

Tony's smirk dropped upon hearing Rory's name. He furrowed his brow and headed for his Iron Man suit while hanging up on Fury.

"Tony, is everything alright?" Pepper asked stepping off the elevator.

"I'm not sure…"

"The Tony Stark isn't sure about something? That's a first. Just take care of yourself." She said giving him a quick kiss before he took off.

When Tony landed on the flight deck of the helicarrier he was greeted by Steve, Bruce and the two assassins. The group turned around at his arrival, each of them confused as to why they were there.

"So much for our time off." Barton muttered crossing his arms.

"I know this is supposed to be your time off, but a situation has come up." Fury said walking up behind them.

"What's the situation?" Natasha asked.

"Follow me."

~R~

Everyone sat at the table as the video of Rory breaking into a high security vault undetected shut off. The room was silent as they took in the images. Steve leaned forward in his seat slamming his fists on the table.

"Rory wouldn't do that unless she had a perfectly good reason to."

"Hayes never told you what her real job is now did she?" Fury asked.

Steve's blond brows furrowed in confusion, "What?"

"She's a retrieval specialist." Fury answered.

"Retrieval Specialist?" Bruce asked.

"A thief, but slightly different. Thieves take items for their own person gain whereas a Retrieval Specialist is hired by a client. They do it for money." Fury explained.

The room fell silent again. First it was two assassins' they had to worry about and now this? What type of group did Fury put together? Steve looked up and leaned back in his chair.

"Why didn't she tell us?"

"Because she has been trying to get out." Barton said. Everyone turned to look at him. He sighed and pulled the video back up and rewinds it a little bit and paused. The part he stopped at was of Rory entering the safe and looking at the camera.

"See here, she wouldn't deliberately look at the camera. She's better trained than that. Now look at her expression." He paused the video again.

"It's blank." Bruce said.

"Exactly, but look closer at her eyes." Barton tapped on Rory's picture and increased the size.

"I recognize that look. She's being forced to do this." Steve answered staring at her picture. "Do we know where she's at?"

"Sir, we got her." Sitwell said from a computer.

"Where is she?" Steve asked jumping up.

"Milan."

~R~

The taxi pulled up in front of Sforza Castle. Rory climbed out and paid the driver before walking inside. The museums inside were being used as party areas for their newest item the Banshee's Bracelet of Screams; the item Rory was asked to retrieve. Her black heels clicked as she walked through the museums. People turned to look at her as she entered the Museum of Ancient Art, her blue bodycon sweetheart dress accentuating her figure; and why the bracelet was in here Rory didn't know. She grabbed a champagne glass from one of the waiters walking around and took a sip.

She moseyed around and looked at all the different collections. When she spotted the bracelet she mentally cursed. The bracelet was in the center of the room so everyone could see and guards were stationed all around. Rory walked over and inspected the bracelet. It was intricately designed, but what caught her attention were the faces of screaming skulls surrounding the bracelet. Rory turned from the case when people started whispering to each other and two names had her spinning around; Tony Stark and Captain America.

When Rory turned around her eyes widened. Standing at the front of the room was none other than Steve Rogers and Tony Stark, each dressed in a tailored tuxedo. They quickly spotted her and headed in her direction. Rory scanned the room for an exit and found one to her left. She danced through the throngs of party guests. She passed through the exit only be grabbed from behind and lifted into the air.

"Put me down!" she exclaimed fitting against the person.

"Rory, Rory calm down. It's me, Steve." Steve set her down once she calmed down.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"What, you're not glad to see us?" Tony asked standing in front of her.

"You two can't be here. It'll ruin everything."

"We're all here, Rory. We're here to help you."

Rory harshly ran a hand through her hair. "If he finds out I'm even talking to you then he'll…"

"He'll what?" Steve asked.

"…He'll kill my father."

Steve and Tony looked at each other then back at Rory. She peered around the corner at the bracelet then at the guards.

"Tony, don't take what I'm about to do serious."

"What are you talking…?"

Rory spun around and punched Tony sending him reeling back. Steve helped Tony stay on his feet.

"What are you doing?"

"Saving your lives. I'm sorry, Steve." She said grabbing his hand and slipping something into his palm. She gave Tony an apologetic look before taking off.

"She sure packs a punch." Tony massaged his cheek.

Steve uncurled his fist and looked at the folded piece of paper. He unfolded the paper and furrowed his brow. It was blank. Tony took the paper from Steve's hand and looked over it. He brushed a finger over each side before pocketing it.

"I need a black light."

~R~

The museum was shrouded in darkness. A lone dark figure stalked through the halls toward the bracelet. Rory emerged from the shadows and peered through the glass box. She pulled out a small glass cutter and cut a circle. She gently placed the piece of glass on the floor and reached into the case. Rory grabbed the bracelet and set it in her bag before getting up to leave. When she turned around she froze; standing behind her was Steve.

"Steve, you have to get out of here."

"I'm not leaving you here."

"None of us are." Tony said entering the room with the others.

Rory looked between everyone, clutching the strap of the backpack tightly. Steve slowly inched toward her holding out his right hand. Rory shook her head and backed up as Steve got closer.

"Please Steve; I don't want him to hurt you or anyone else. You have to let me do this…"

"We can't just let you leave with that bracelet." Natasha said keeping her gun trained on Rory.

"Do you want my help?" a man with a German accent said.

Steve and the others looked around the room for the source. The room lit up as a man wearing a monocle and dressed in a pinstripe suit with red hair and a beard walked up behind Rory. Another man stood beside him wearing a black suit and black sunglasses. Steve glanced at Rory and saw her shoulders tense at the man's appearance.

"Get out of here now!" she exclaimed just as the man turned her around. He lifted a small dispenser up and sprayed its contents in Rory's face.

"My greatest weapon has always been my voice…so well-modulated and pitched that my very word can either be totally consoling…or destructively jarring!" the man said.

"Who the hell are you? And what have you done to Rory?" Steve asked.

"My name is Johann Fennhoff, but you may call me Doctor Faustus. As for your friend, she is under my control. I gave her a dose of hallucinogenic gas and she will do anything I tell her to. Rory, Errol, how about we show our guests what happens when they crash the party." Dr. Faustus said moving to stand behind Rory with the bag in hand.

* * *

~R~

This one actually took me a little longer to type than I originally thought. I'm not too familiar with Dr. Faustus from the comics but hopefully the research I did helped. Don't forget to review! I've already started the next chapter so there shouldn't be a long wait! :D

Oh and I know the SteveXRory is taking awhile but don't worry it is subtly there, especially in the next chapter. :D


	10. Chapter 10

Theta-McBride: … I must admit when I first read that review I got lost. xD That's what happens when I need sleep. Ha-ha It will definitely be in here but if it will be subtle I do not know. :3

Cara Tala: Thank you! I haven't seen much on him so I figured I'd add it! :D The mind control seemed like an awesome idea.

Disclaimer: I only own Rory and Adam.

~R~

* * *

Rory unsheathed two knives from her sleeves and advanced on Steve. Steve blocked her attacks with his shield while trying not to hurt her. Errol went after Tony and the others while Faustus watched. Steve blocked another of Rory's attacks before grabbing her wrists forcing her to drop the knives. The Hulk was trying his best not to break anything but it was a futile effort.

"Rory, it's me. I know you're in there. You have to fight back." Steve tried to reason. Rory swung her fist at Steve only to have him catch it. "Don't let him win, Rory. We're your friends!"

"St-eve…Steve?" Rory mumbled as the fog clouding her eyes started to disappear.

"No! Kill him, Rory!"

"I-I can't. I won't kill him."

"Do as you're told! Kill him!" Faustus shouted.

"No, I'm done being your puppet. I got you the bracelet so let my father go."

"Fine, you want your father so bad well here he is." Faustus motioned to the entryway. Rory looked over and watched as her father entered the room. Her eyes narrowed at the blood running down his face.

"What did you do to him? You said you wouldn't hurt him!" Rory shouted. Steve held her back. "Damn it Steve let me go!"

"Do you know what this bracelet does?" Faustus asked pulling out the bracelet. "No? Let's demonstrate."

Rory's eyes widened, "Everyone, cover your ears!"

A piercing shriek cut through the air as Faustus pressed a button on the bracelet. Rory fell to her knees as her hands didn't completely shut out the noise. She lifted her head and looked at Faustus and the bracelet in his hand. Rory shakily got to her feet and walked toward Faustus. Steve attempted to reach out and stop her, but the sound was crippling.

"JARVIS shut off the comm-link. I'm going in blind."

"_I do believe you mean deaf, sir. Communication links are offline, sir." _

Tony stood up and blasted the floor in front of Faustus. The doctor dropped the bracelet and jumped back. Rory charged forward and threw her body over the bracelet to stifle the shrieks. Reluctantly, she removed her hands from her ears and looked for the button to shut the shrieks off. She found the button and hastily pressed it ceasing the noise. A sigh of relief escaped her lips when a pair of rough hands grabbed her and threw her against the wall. Rory grunted as her back collided with the stone wall. She crumpled to the floor as her vision swam.

The red, white and blue colors of Steve's suit appeared in front of her as he fought off the forgotten Errol. Rory tried pushing herself up but the pain in her back intensified. Steve hit Errol with his shield sending the man across the room. When Errol didn't move Steve turned and knelt down beside Rory. The sound of rushing footsteps reached his ears and he looked up to find Rory's father.

"The name's Adam, as you already know I'm her father. We need to get out of here before the authorities show up."

"What about Faustus?"

"He slipped out while no one was watching. He's most likely long go by now."

"Cops are on their way. We need to move." Tony said landing next to them.

Steve looked down at Rory and reached forward to pick her up. He pulled one of his hands away to see his glove covered in blood.

"Banner!" Steve called. Bruce knelt down and gently rolled Rory onto her back as he inspected her wounds.

"Her injuries from New York haven't completely healed. They were re-opened; the one I'm most concerned about is her stomach. If I don't stop the bleeding soon she'll possibly slip into a coma."

"I'll carry her while you get the jet ready to leave. We can't waste any more time." Steve ordered scooping Rory into his arms. Tony flew off toward the jet as the others ran from the museum. Adam made sure to grab the bracelet before they left; an item as dangerous as that belonged in SHIELD storage. Every so often Steve glanced down at Rory as he ran. They reached the jet and Steve was the first one on board. He placed Rory down on the bench as Bruce knelt beside him with a bag filled with first aid supplies.

~R~

As the jet landed at one of SHIELD's base of operations in New York, a stretcher was brought on board to help. The medical staff moved Rory onto the stretcher as Bruce oversaw everything. Steve followed close behind until they wheeled her into the emergency room.

"I'm afraid you can't go in there, son."

"Sir?"

"My daughter is a fighter; she'll pull through."

Steve looked back at the emergency room doors before sighing. Adam clapped Steve on the back and took a seat outside the doors.

"You best get yourself cleaned up. I'll let you know when she wakes up."

"Thanks."

"She's told me a lot about you, ya know. I think she likes you and from what I saw earlier, you do too." Adam smirked.

"Uh…I'm just going to get changed." Steve said fumbling for the right words to say. He turned on his heel and walked down the hall.

Adam chuckled as the Star Spangled Man with a Plan disappeared around the corner. He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.

"_Daddy, you're home!" a four year old Rory said running outside to greet her father. Adam picked up his little girl and swung her around. _

_A rust-colored hair woman stood in the doorway of the house smiling at the two. He held Rory on his hip as he walked up to the woman. They smiled at each other before kissing. Rory made a sound of disgust and giggled when Adam tickled her. _

"_Welcome home, soldier." The woman said with a smile._

"_It's good to be home. I missed my two lovely girls." _

"_We missed you too, daddy." _

"_Dad, its mom, she…she passed away late last night. When are you coming home?" Rory cried into the phone._

"_I'll be on the next flight home. Stay at the house until I get there." _

"Colonel Hayes?" the doctor said waking him up.

"How is she?" he asked standing up.

"With a little rest she'll be fine. I gave her some medicine for the pain and bandaged her wounds. She should be back on her feet in two days, but if she starts feeling dizzy have her take this. You can go in and see her."

"Thank you, doctor." Adam replied taking the prescription.

~R~

Adam sat in the chair beside his daughter's bed and watched as she slept. He knew it has been quite some time since they were able to be an actual family, and hopefully that was all going to change. He peered over his shoulder as the door slid open and Steve walked in, taking a seat off to Rory's right.

"How is she?" Steve asked.

"She'll be fine with a little rest. The doctor said she should be up on her feet in two days."

"Good." Steve replied leaning back into the chair. He kept a close eye on Rory just in case anything happened. However, he was completely unaware of Adam watching him closely.

"You really do care about her don't you?" Adam asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Is it that obvious?" Steve said looking down.

"I'm afraid so, but don't worry. She needs a man like you in her life and it's about time she found one. Most men nowadays aren't like you and that's a shame."

Steve didn't say anything as he looked up. Adam closed his eyes and stood up from the chair.

"I'll leave her in your hands tonight. I need some sleep. I'll check in tomorrow morning."

Steve gave him a nod as Adam exited the room, the door sliding shut behind him. He turned his attention back to Rory and leaned forward in his chair. Steve reached out and grasped Rory's hand giving it a squeeze. He contemplated lifting her hand to his lips and kissing her knuckles when his mind made the decision for him. Steve brushed his lips to her knuckles before laying her hand back on the bed.

* * *

~R~

Sorry for the delay! Work has officially taken over my life (mainly the weekend) but I shall try and post during the week, possibly Tuesday and or Wednesday. Maybe even sooner! Hope you all enjoyed!


	11. Chapter 11

I'm sorry for leaving you all hanging for so long. I hope everyone's holiday was great! Since it is snowing like crazy now I shall continue writing. Hope you all enjoy and a part of this story came from the brilliant mind of my friend BlueBrainProductions. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I still don't own the Avengers, just Rory and her father.

~R~

* * *

Rory awoke the next morning feeling a weight on her hand. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and looked down at the blond hair of her respected Captain. A smile appeared on Rory's face as she ran her free hand through Steve's blond locks. Steve stirred but did not wake up. Rory continued playing with Steve's hair when he yawned. She pulled her hand from Steve's hair as he sat up rubbing a hand over his eyes.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty." She smiled.

Steve was in the middle of stretching when he heard her voice loud and clear. "Rory? How are you feeling? Do you need me to get the doctor?" Steve quickly asked.

"Steve, Steve, slow down. I feel perfectly fine except for my hand. You were laying on it and now it is asleep."

"Sorry…" Steve apologized rubbing the back of his neck as he looked down at his shoes.

"It's alright. Did you stay here all night?" she asked sitting up. Steve stood and helped situate the pillows behind her back. Rory thanked him with a smile and leaned back against the pillows.

"You're welcome, and yes, I was here all night" he replied.

"Thank you, Steve."

"You don't have to thank me ma'am, uh Rory." Steve quickly corrected himself as Rory gave him a blank stare.

"Yes I do. It was you who came to my rescue and I owe you for that."

Steve looked up from his hands, his eyes resting on Rory's face. The genuine and stern look on her face told him that he couldn't refuse her thanks, and if he did he'd be sorry. So instead he settled on smiling.

"And if memory serves me right, you were the one who carried me away to the jet. I owe you my life, Steve."

Rory's brow furrowed when Steve abruptly stood up and walked over to the window. The silence of the room was disturbed by the constant beeping of the machines beside Rory's bed. She moved to get up from the bed when Steve swiftly turned around, startling her.

"Rory, I li…" he began to say when the door slid open as a casually dressed Tony strutted into the room.

"It's about time you woke up, Major Sunshine." Tony said.

"I missed you too, Tony." Rory replied with a roll of her eyes. She turned back to Steve to find him clenching his fists. "What were you about to say, Steve?"

Tony looked over at the Capsicle with a grin on his face. Tony had made sure to install JARVIS so he could overhear- uh keep tabs on everyone and their conversations. Tony had a feeling he knew what Steve was about to say, but he wanted to see if Steve would say it with him in the room. Steve unclenched his fists and looked up at Rory then over at Tony. When his eyes landed on the billionaire he narrowed his eyes and glared. He saw Rory move out of the corner of his eye and looked at her, his blue eyes softening.

"It's nothing." He said before brushing by Tony and out of the room.

"Steve?" Rory called in concern.

"Did I interrupt something? I probably should have knocked. Let me go try again." Tony said slowly turning on his heel.

Rory glared at him as he put his hands up in surrender. He took a seat to her left and intertwined his hands, pressing his index fingers together and holding them against his lips. Rory saw the worried expression in Tony's eyes and leaned forward. She could tell he was thinking of something and his mind wouldn't stop moving until the news was said.

"What is it, Tony?" she asked.

Tony's eyes flicked over to Rory. "You should rest. I'll tell you later." He replied standing up.

"Don't pull that bull shit on me, Tony. What's the matter?"

Tony sighed and turned around. "It's your dad."

"What about him? He's here…isn't he?" she asked seeing Tony's brows furrow.

"He was called back to base late last night, said it was urgent. And he wanted me to give you this." Tony answered pulling out a folded piece of paper.

Rory reached out and took the paper from him and unfolded it. Her eyes scanned over the contents before stopping.

_Rory,_

_If you're reading this then you already know that I am gone. I'm sorry for not being there when you awoke, but I'm needed at the base. I don't know how long I will be gone or what the mission is, but you won't be able to contact me. Take care of yourself, sweetheart. _

_Love,_

_Dad_

_P.S. I approve of Steve. He's the right partner for you. _

_P.S.S. I'm going to do some research on Faustus and if I find anything I will send it to you. Keep an eye on your friends and yourself. _

"I'm gonna kill him the next time I see him…" she muttered crunching up the paper. "Tell me, Tony, did he seem odd when he left?"

"Odd? What would you consider odd about him?"

"The way he was acting. Did he avoid eye contact; was his back turned to you?"

"No one saw him leave, not even JARVIS…" Tony replied.

Rory looked down at the paper clenched in her hand. She knew he father was good at disappearing without being noticed, but not being detected by JARVIS? That was a whole different story. She heard Tony shuffling but didn't look up until a platinum colored card made her go cross-eyed.

"Pepper wanted me to give you this. She said to indulge yourself, get new clothes and anything else you need. Oh and I will know if you use that in a strip club." Tony said walking away.

"TONY!" Rory shouted tossing a pillow at the billionaire only to have him run out the door and the pillow gently hitting the floor.

~R~

When Rory was released from the medical bay, she was given a fresh pair of clothes. She quickly showered and changed into the dark jeans, boots and cream colored Vero Moda top. Once she was finished, she was informed that Fury wanted to see her. She made her way through the SHIELD base and stopped in front of the metal door with the director's name on it. She was about to know when the door slid open. Rory walked inside and found Fury standing behind a desk looking down at the busy New York street.

"I'm glad to see you're back on your feet, Major."

"Me too. If I had to stay in that bed any longer I would have lost my mind."

Fury turned around and smirked at her response. Rory saw him grab a set of keys off his desk and tossed them to her. She nearly fumbled the keys but caught them at the last minute and looked at them.

"What are these for?"

"They're to your new apartment. I took the liberty of having your things moved to their new location for you."

"Thank you, but what's wrong with my townhouse?" Rory asked shifting her weight to her left leg.

"Faustus knew where you lived and your place was bugged. We extracted these from the vents." He said tossing a camera onto the desk. "You're new place is in Brooklyn. There's someone waiting to take you there downstairs."

Rory nodded her in thanks and turned around. She exited the room and listened as the door slid shut behind her. She looked at the key one last time before pocketing it and walking down the hallway to the elevator.

~R~

The elevator doors dinged open as Rory finally reached the first floor. She pushed her way out of the packed elevator and walked out the front door. She looked around for her escort when her eyes spotted Steve sitting atop his motorcycle.

"So are you supposed to be my escort, Captain Rogers?" Rory asked walking up to him.

"Were you expecting someone else?"

"Well, yes but now that I know it's you I won't have to deal with being followed around by another SHIELD agent."

Steve smiled and waited as Rory climbed on behind him. She held on as they drove off and she looked around the city. Rory had been to New York once before but didn't have the chance to do much. She was there on military business. She remembered the credit card Tony handed her earlier in the day and knew the perfect place to go.

"How about we get something sweet to eat? I could really use something sugary." She said leaning forward so Steve could hear her.

"Do you have an idea where you want to go?"

"That bakery right there." She replied pointed in front of them and off to the right.

Steve slowed the motorcycle and pulled next to the curb. He shut the bike off as Rory climbed off. They both stopped when a familiar booming voice was heard behind them.

"Lady Hayes, how wonderful it is you are awake." Thor said grabbing Rory in a hug.

"Thanks. I honestly wasn't expecting you to return so soon."

"I was in the mood for some Midgardian food."

Rory looked over at Steve and then at the bakery. "Have you ever had cake?"

"Cake?"

"Come on; let me introduce you to my dear friend cake." Rory smiled turning around and entering the bakery. Steve and Thor followed behind. Once inside Thor eyed all the decadent desserts. Rory walked over to the pastries and ordered herself a bear-claw while she waited for Thor to choose.

Steve and Rory sat next to each other as they watched Thor devour an entire three layer cake. Rory's mouth hung open as the God of Thunder asked for another. That's when the idea came to her. She lightly hit Steve's arm with her hand and motioned for him to follow her after telling him her plan.

"Excuse me. I was wondering could we get a little bit of everything in here?" Rory asked the owner.

"A little bit of…everything? Are you sure?" the owner asked shocked.

Rory nodded and held out the card. The woman looked at the name on it and then back up at Rory.

"We're his personal assistants." She replied before the woman could ask where she got the card. "And he really enjoys sweets, especially cake."

The owner nodded and went to work ringing up everything so they could pay. Rory told her they wanted the items delivered directly to Stark Tower. Rory and Steve walked back over to the small table once they paid for the order. She didn't know if Tony really liked sweets or not but oh well. She could already picture the look on Tony's face when all the bakery items arrived and burst out laughing.

"I must have another!" Thor boomed as he finished off his third cake.

"I promise you will get more later, but for now you're done." Rory laughed leaning against Steve's shoulder as he too laughed.

~R~

Meanwhile at Stark Tower a few hours later, Pepper was shocked to see all the boxes from a nearby bakery piled high in the penthouse. She carefully maneuvered around the boxes making sure none of them fell.

"Tony, what did you do?" she asked.

"Remind me not to give her any more of my credit cards…" Tony replied.

"Who?"

"Rory."

Pepper's mouth formed an 'O' shape before she pursed her lips together to keep herself from laughing.

"I must say I am impressed. She got one over on you, Tony." Pepper said earning a look from Tony.

"I'm glad to see someone is amused." He muttered. Pepper chuckled and kissed his cheek before leaving the room and grabbing a small single slice of cake packaged in its own container. Her name clearly printed on it.

* * *

~R~

Sorry if this seems short. I'm falling asleep as I type this and listening to music is not helping. D: Hope you all enjoyed and I will update again either tomorrow or after work Friday. Don't forget to review!


	12. Chapter 12

I swear I am not dead! I've just been busy with work and school. I hope everyone is still anxiously waiting for this new chapter. I didn't know what I wanted to have it be, but the idea from last chapter was still in my head. Hopefully everyone enjoys!

Oh yes and if anyone happened to have read my Batman story, a sequel is in progress!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Avengers, just Rory and her crazy antics.

~R~

* * *

The days following Steve and Rory's bakery escapade they never heard from Tony. Surely he would have thought of something to get back at them with, but nothing. Or so they thought. Rory was somehow roped into going to one of SHIELD's cleverly disguised shooting ranges with Natasha and Clint. Now, Rory is good with a gun but she still prefers her knives, so to her surprise upon their arrival there was a table covered with varies kinds. She glided her right hand over the handles and the blades, testing for sharpness. Rory stuck her index finger in her mouth as a small trickle of blood slid down.

"Did they just sharpen all of these?" She asked tossing the knife in the air and catching it.

"Just for you." Natasha answered cocking her gun.

"Try not to stab yourself again." Clint added with a smirk while notching an arrow.

Rory spun around and glared at the Hawk. "Maybe if you hadn't of startled me I wouldn't have stabbed myself."

As Clint was about to respond the room was filled with the sound of gunfire. They clasped their hands over their ears as it reverberated around the room. Natasha emptied the last of the clip into the target and lowered her weapon. Rory was the first to pull her hands from her ears and grab pair of orange ear plugs. Securing each plug in her ears, Rory walked into her stall and set the knives on the sill. Natasha and Clint eyed her stance as Rory moved her right foot behind her left, leaving a gap between the two and forming a forty-five degree angle. Her heels were on an imaginary line she came up with and bent her knees; she was balancing on the ball of her back foot. She grabbed a bowie knife, placing her thumb on the spine of the knife with a stiff grip. Rory moved her arm back behind her head, the knife level with the side of her head. In one fluid motion her arm extended straight out in front of her, releasing the knife. Her eyes followed the knife as it sailed through the air and embedded itself into the dummy target.

"Remind me not to startle her while she is in the kitchen…" Clint muttered to Natasha.

Natasha smirked but it slowly faded away. Her eyes were trained on Rory as she took another stance and knife. She flipped the knife in her hand and caught the tip of the blade. Rory pressed her index finger to the blunt side of the blade. Her stance was more relaxed and recognized by Natasha. This time Rory's movement was faster and wave like and by the time Clint had blinked the knife was already in the dummy's forehead. Rory turned around when she didn't hear muffled gun fire and found Natasha with her arms crossed over her chest and Clint slowly slinking to the side.

"Is something wrong?" Rory questioned raising an eyebrow.

"I never knew you've been to Russia." Natasha replied.

Rory's mouth formed an 'O' as she rubbed the back of her neck. "It was a long time ago. I was on a job and somehow I managed to get myself caught. Stupid I know, but I wasn't told of the…consequences of my last job.

"What happened?" Clint asked messing with one of his arrows.

Rory chuckled, "I was tossed into a Russian prison. What else? Technically, I wasn't supposed to be in Russia. There's apparently, or there was, a warrant for my arrest. Anyways, the rest is history."

It was Clint's turn to raise an eyebrow in question. He placed the arrow back into his quiver and crossed his arms.

"How did you get out?"

"I gave them what they wanted. That's all you need to know." Rory replied ending the conversation.

The room was silent as Rory placed the knives back on the table and in their proper spots. She turned toward the door and rested her hand on the door handle. She stopped and glanced over her shoulder.

"So who's up for some food?"

"Are you paying?" Clint asked.

"No, but a certain billionaire we all know and love is." Rory smiled pulling the card from her pocket.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Clint said throwing a fist into the air. Natasha rolled her eyes as Rory laughed and pushed the door open.

~R~

Tony stood in front of one of his many computer screens with an eyebrow twitching. He pressed a button and called in Pepper. The elevator pinged as Pepper entered the room.

"What is it now, Tony?" she asked walking to his side.

His arms were crossed in front of him while his right hand was to his face. Tony moved his hand and pointed at the screen. Pepper turned toward the screen and saw Tony's bank statement. She had to stifle a giggle with a cough as Tony glanced over to her.

"How does she keep getting my card?" He questioned thoroughly confused.

"I don't know Tony, but I like her." Pepper replied earning a look from Tony. She lifted her hands, "I'm only saying, Tony."

The elevator pinged causing Tony to turned around to see who it is.

"Speak of the devil and she shall appear." He said with a grin.

Rory glared as she approached the couple. Tony's eyes landed on the piece of plastic in her outstretched hand. His eyes moved from the card to Rory's eyes.

"Just take it, Tony. It's no fun using your money when you don't do anything." She said.

Tony smirked as he took the card from her. "Who says I didn't do anything?"

Rory's eyes narrowed as she tilted her head. "What are you talking about?"

"I guess you haven't been to your apartment yet?"

"You didn't…" Rory replied turning on her heel and stalking toward the elevator. As she waited for the doors to close she glared at Tony who merely grinned back.

"Tony, what did you do?" Pepper asked.

"I just gave her some new decorations." He replied going to put the card in his wallet only to find it missing. "Where's my wallet?"

~R~

Rory roughly pushed the door to the stairwell open as she reached her apartment. She caught sight of Steve standing outside her door, staring. She slowly walked over to him as he turned to her. He reached for the door and swiftly closed it.

"You don't want to go in there." He said blocking the door.

"Steve, let me through, please."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Rory."

"Steven." Rory growled through clenched teeth.

Steve hesitated but slowly moved away from the door. He watched in silence as Rory opened the door and stepped inside. He waited as she took in the state of her apartment. The living room and dining room was covered ceiling to floor with paper party streamers and beads. Rory stood in the doorway and with narrowed eyes she walked through the streamers and beads to her bedroom. She opened the door and Steve swore he heard an animalistic growl come from Rory's throat.

"I'M GONNA KILL HIM!" she shouted storming out of the apartment and back to Stark Tower. Steve followed behind her to make sure she didn't actually kill the billionaire, even if he still called him a Capsicle.

"Rory, hold on!"

~R~

* * *

Sorry it's so short. I have a certain direction that all this craziness is going so you'll all have to wait and see. I'll work on the next chapter tomorrow and try to get it out, but there is no promises. Anyways, please review! Or don't, unless you wish to guess what's going to happen. Mwahaha. Okay I'm done now.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I only own Rory Hayes and her father.

~R~

* * *

Steve had chased after Rory down the busy New York sidewalk and was able to convince her to calm down. He knew what Tony had done to her room was a bit excessive, but Rory knew it was coming sooner or later. Plus it wouldn't clean itself. Steve tied another garbage bag before setting it outside of Rory's bedroom. He looked around the still covered room and ran a hand through his hair. Rory was busy pulling down more party streamers and silly string with a scowl on her face. He was glad they removed the fog machine and dry ice from the room, but he regretted having Rory in the room once the fog cleared. The bed was covered in plastic wrap and post it notes along with the dresser and windows. The closet, however was closed so Steve hoped Tony didn't do anything to her clothes. How wrong he was. Rory roughly pulled the sliding door open and just stared inside. Steve had walked over to her to see if his suspicions were correct, but he ended up muttering a curse to himself. Tony was definitely in trouble or he would end up being buried six feet under by the end of the week.

Steve sighed as he watched Rory try to pull another streamer from the wall only to have it refuse to come off.

"Damn you, Tony." Rory muttered as she tugged on the streamer. A hand was placed on the small of her back as Steve reached by her and pulled the streamer down for her. He held it out and dropped it in the bag. Rory let Steve take the bag from her hands and push her toward the door.

"Take a break. I'll get the rest of the streamers and silly string." He said with a warm smile.

"Thank you, Steve." She replied letting herself slide down the wall to the ground. Her head rested against the wall as she watched Steve work. Rory could see the muscles ripple in his back as he reached up and grabbed a handful of streamers pulling them down. She knew they had grown closer since the Faust incident, but she didn't know how much further they'd go. She liked Steve that much was certain, but she liked him as more than a friend. Rory continued to watch Steve work as she slowly let her eyes drift shut.

"Rory…Rory wake up." Steve said gently shaking her awake.

"How long was I asleep?" she asked stifling a yawn.

"Two hours. I cleared most of the silly string and all the streamers. Now all we have left is the bed, windows and dresser."

"Great! Now how about we get some food before we tackle those?" Rory slowly stood up and popped her stiff back.

"Sounds good." Steve replied watching as Rory disappeared around the corner.

He had just turned back to the remaining silly string when a cough from the doorway caught his attention. He glanced over his shoulder at Rory standing in the doorway with a pamphlet in her hand.

"How about pizza? It seems Tony took it upon himself to empty out my fridge and trying to thaw anything will take a while."

Steve couldn't help but shake his head. He dropped the garbage bag onto the floor and followed Rory into the kitchen. She leaned against the island and ordered their food while Steve grabbed a glass of water.

~R~

Rory and Steve cleaned up their mess and proceeded to finish cleaning Rory's room. Steve was busy pulling the post-it notes off the window when the phone rang. Rory and Steve looked at one another before Rory grabbed the phone and answered.

"Hello?"

"_Rory? This is Pepper. I heard what Tony did and I want to apologize for his childish antics."_

"There's no need for you to apologize, Pepper. I kind of had it coming, but I wasn't expecting this much. Oh, and you wouldn't happen to know what he did with all my clothes?" Rory asked looking over at Steve.

"_That's actually why I called. He thought it would be hilarious to hide them and now he doesn't remember where he put them. No one messes with a woman's clothes and gets away with it, so we are going to buy you some new clothes." _

Rory groaned which caused Steve to quirk an eyebrow in question. When he locked eyes with Rory she merely shook her head and held up a finger telling him to wait.

"Thank you, Pepper. Just let me know when and where to meet you tomorrow."

"_Just meet me at Stark Tower around noon and we'll take the limo."_

Rory hung up and placed the phone back in the cradle. Steve couldn't determine the look on her face, but from her expression earlier it must have something to do with Tony. Rory turned toward her bed and sighed. The plastic wrap and post-it notes seemed to be mocking her. She started pulling off post-it notes and stacking them in her hand when something caught her eye. She leaned over the bed and plucked the bright blue post-it note from the sea of yellow and turned it over. On the back was the familiar handwriting of Tony Stark and only two words_, Your Move. _

The post-it note sailed through the air bouncing off the rim of the trash can as Rory plucked the rest of the notes off the bed before depositing them. She examined the plastic wrap to see where she should start. She released a frustrated sigh and grabbed a pair of scissors from the desk drawer and carefully cut the plastic wrap. Once finished Rory turned to find Steve had finished with the desk and window and was watching her. She quirked an eyebrow when they made eye contact and Steve looked away.

"Listen Steve, it's getting late so how about you stay here for the night?" Rory suggested turning away from Steve. She balled the plastic wrap in her hand and tossed it into the trash can.

"I don't want to intrude…" he began to reply.

Rory put her hands on her hips and smiled, "I asked you to stay so you won't be intruding. Besides, I could use a bodyguard in case a certain someone decides to pull another stunt like this one."

Steve laughed and nodded. Rory's smile brightened. She turned toward the bed and got down on her hands and knees searching under the bed. Steve blushed and looked away when his eyes landed on Rory's butt as she knelt down. He waited a few minutes before turning back around just as Rory stood back up, a set of sheets in hand.

"I haven't finished setting up the guest room, but it has a bed and it is better than sleeping on that couch. Trust me that couch will kill your back in just a few hours." She said exiting her room and entering the guest room across the hall. Steve followed behind her and helped in making the queen sized bed.

They passed the time watching television and having a few drinks. Every now and then they would sneak glances at each other only to end up being caught. Steve was flipping through the channels when Rory yawned. She pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle the yawn.

"I think I'm going to call it a night. I'll see you in the morning." She stood up and stretched before pressing a hand to her head. A sharp blinding pain blurred her vision causing her to become unbalanced. Steve shot up and steadied Rory.

"Whoa easy now. Everything alright?" he asked worry laced in his tone.

Rory blinked a few times to clear her vision as she leaned against Steve. "I think so. It's probably just the beer and lack of sleep."

Steve reluctantly let Rory go as she checked to make sure she could walk. He watched as she made her way out of the living room and into the hallway. He listened as her bedroom door opened and clicked closed behind her.

Rory leaned her back against the door as the room spun around her. She squeezed her eyes shut and leaned over as her stomach became queasy. She took a few deep breaths waiting for her stomach to settle and the room to stand still. After a few minutes, Rory straightened up and slowly made her way to the bed. She pulled back the covers and climbed into the cool covers. Once her head hit the pillow she was out, until the nightmares started again.

It was well into the night when Steve heard whimpering followed by shouts. He shot out of bed and ran into Rory's room. She was thrashing about on the bed, sweat running down her forehead as she struggled to get away from something. Steve approached the side of her bed and called her name.

"Steve…No…You need to get out of here. It's not safe." Rory muttered catching Steve off guard. "Faustus…"

Steve had heard enough when Rory began writhing in pain and screaming as tears rolled down her cheeks. Rory's eyes shot open as she screamed and grabbed her head. Steve sat on the bed and pulled her into his chest to comfort her. He rubbed her back soothingly as she quieted down. They sat in silence for a long while neither of them moving as Steve ran his hand through her hair and held her close. Rory had wrapped her arms around his middle and cried into his shirt until she couldn't cry any more. She slowly pulled away from Steve and wiped her eyes as Steve rested his hands on her shoulders.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he quietly asked.

"I don't know how to explain it. Something happened after I broke Faustus' mind control. I've been having these nightmares every night and every time the outcome is different."

"How so?"

"I have to choose between my life and yours, but no matter what I choose one of us dies. Namely me…I don't know what to do." She answered hanging her head.

"Rory, look at me." When she didn't move Steve lifted her chin forcing her to look at him. "Everything is going to be alright. Faustus isn't going to hurt you. I won't let him, not this time. However, I think you should have Dr. Banner check you out. See if he can find out what is causing these nightmares. Agreed?"

With a nod of her head, Rory settled back into bed. Steve moved to leave when Rory grabbed his hand. He turned and looked down at her.

"Please stay." She whispered as her grip on his hand loosened. Steve didn't say a word as he slowly climbed onto the bed. Rory scooted over to give him more room and lay on her side. She closed her eyes knowing he was there next to her. She allowed sleep to overcome her once more hoping the nightmares would stay away for the rest of the night.

~R~

The following morning Rory awoke to the sun shining in her eyes. She groaned and tried to roll over only to feel a weight around her middle. Her eyes landed on the lightly tanned skin and followed it up to its owner. Steve was sound asleep as Rory blushed and tried to wiggle her way out of the bed. She stopped when Steve pulled her closer. She patiently waited until his grip loosened a little bit more and she was able to slip away. Rory had to admit she missed the warmth from Steve's body, but she had to meet Pepper in…two hours.

"Ah crap…I didn't mean to sleep this late." She muttered quietly approaching the bathroom.

Rory stopped mid-step when she realized she didn't have any clothes to change into. With a heavy sigh she turned on her heel and exited the room. Walking into the kitchen she grabbed some left over pizza and took a bite when there was a knock at her door. Rory took another bite of her pizza as she answered the door.

"Pepper, what are you doing here?" Rory asked after swallowing. She moved out of the way and let Pepper inside.

"Tony forgot to mention he took _all _of your clothes so I brought you some of mine. I just hope they fit." She replied handing Rory the bag.

"Thanks. Just let me go change and I'll be right out. And feel free to make yourself at home."

Rory lightly jogged down the hallway toward the spare bedroom. She didn't want to wake Steve, especially after he spent the day helping her clean up her apartment. He deserved the break. She quickly changed and put her hair into a bun. She checked her appearance one last time and left the room. After peeking into her bedroom to see Steve still sound asleep she quietly closed the door and went to the living room.

"Let me just scribble a quick note and then we can be off."

"House guest?" Pepper asked.

"Mhmm." Rory replied as she found a piece of paper and a pen.

"Is it someone special?" Pepper inquired with a knowing look.

Rory looked up from her note and eyed Pepper closely. The other woman gave her a smile and the look all women give their friends when they have a guy over. Rory rolled her eyes and finished the note before setting the pen on top.

"Let's just say it's a certain Captain. Now can we please go? I need help planning revenge on Tony. I was thinking going after his Iron Man suit." Rory said grabbing her phone and keys as they left.

The hours flew by as Pepper and Rory shopped and swapped stories. Pepper laughed as she held up a pair of lingerie and Rory made a face. She dropped it back on the table and pulled Rory toward the shoes. Pepper grabbed a box from the shelf and nearly tossed it at Rory.

"Here try these on." She said turning back to the shelves to look.

Rory sat down on the bench and opened the box. Her eyes widened in horror at the high heeled shoe. She slowly pulled out one of the heels and proceeded to slip it on. Pepper emerged from the shelves and stopped. Her eyes landed on Rory as she tried to walk in the heels and she couldn't stifle the laugh quickly enough. Rory shot a glare in her direction and stiffly walked back to the bench.

"How about a different pair of heels where they aren't six inches high." She grumbled stuffing the shoes back into the box.

"Fine, try these on. I think you'll like these." Pepper chuckled taking the box from Rory's hand and passing her the other box.

Rory read the name on the box, _Kurt Geiger,_ she wasn't one to follow the latest fashion trends nor did she know who the popular designers were, so shrugging she lifted the lid and pulled out the sleek black peep toe heels. She slipped them on and carefully stood up and walked around. Rory had to admit it had been awhile since she last wore heels and now she knew why, but she decided to buy them just in case. The women finished looking at shoes and moved on to the clothing. Rory stood back as Pepper mixed and matched outfits, asking for her input each time. Pepper had Rory try on everything and choose the ones she liked best.

The day was winding down as they made their way to the limo. Each of them had their arms full of bags as they laughed. Rory accidently bumped into someone and turned around to apologize when she caught the man's eye. Her breath hitched in her throat as he smirked and continued walking.

"Rory, what's wrong? Rory?" Pepper asked.

"It's nothing; I just thought I knew him from somewhere." Rory answered turning back around.

"So you and Steve huh? Are you two a couple?"

"No. He is just a friend that's it."

"That's a shame because from what Tony told me, he never left your side after your encounter with Faustus."

Rory froze, "Really?"

"Yes silly. I think he likes you and that blush on your face this morning proves you have feelings for him to. You should tell him."

"I don't know…" Rory said with uncertainty.

"Oh and I know the best place for you to do it! Tony is having party tomorrow and you and Steve are invited."

"I'm not much of a partier, Pep."

"Oh come on it will be fun! Besides you don't have to stay the whole time just come for a few hours and then you can leave. It might be your best chance to get back at Tony."

Rory smirked as they reached the limo. She nodded as Happy helped load the bags into the trunk. Pepper slid into the limo as Rory followed behind her. They drove off unaware of the man following behind them.

"A party? Sounds interesting and it will be the perfect time for my plan. Until we meet again Miss Rory Hayes." The man chuckled.

* * *

~R~

I am not dead! I promise! I am truly sorry for keeping you all waiting and I want everyone to know I am not abandoning this story! I've just been so busy with work that I completely forgot about my stories, but fear not I promise to update this story more frequently now that I have the time.


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